SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
Private sector companies that took the lead in developing micro to small turbojet engines in the last few years might be rewarded for their initiative as the Ministry of Defence is now considering procuring engines that can be used in a wide variety of aerial vehicles, target drones, cruise missiles, aerial targets, unmanned aerial vehicles, and other unmanned systems.
At least half a dozen private sector companies sensing an opportunity had started developing micro turbojet engines from 1kN class of thrust to 12kN class of thrust without work order or commitment to procure from the end user and many have been able to demonstrate many of the engines to the Indian Armed Forces that will now open opportunity for these companies getting government funding for further development and to be modified as per customer’s requirements.
Many companies have started working on projects that will finally see their product being used in the end product as more projects are been sanctioned and cleared by the MoD at a record pace due to changing battlefield scenarios where the usage of drones and loitering ammunitions have gone up considerably.
India is looking to sanction more programs in this field that will require engines from all thrust classes to power Man-portable suicide drones to air-launched cruise missiles in near future. The private sector has demonstrated its capability to design, develop and manufacture engines that earlier needed to be imported due to a lack of local substitutes but now the whole array of the engine can be developed locally at a much faster rate than earlier.
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