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A delegation led by defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) CMD, DK Sunil, is in Russia to sign a deal for licence manufacturing of 240 AL-31FP Aero Engines for Su-30MKI fighter jets presently in service with the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The delegation’s visit to Russia from Monday came after Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a contract with HAL on September 9, this year, for 240 AL-31FP Aero Engines for Su-30MKI jets at a cost of over ₹26,000 crore.
The twin-engine Su-30MKI are due for major upgrades to enhance its operational lives with significantly elevated combat capability, as part of about ₹63,000 crore fund approved earlier by Defence Acquisition Council (DAC).
HAL will replace existing engines of Sukhois which have to be discarded after every 2,000 hours of flying, sources in HAL aware of development told businessline.
A Su-30MKI has a life of 6,000 hours and requires 3 sets of engines in its lifetime, the HAL sources explained.
Sourcing components
Sources said that for HAL to licence manufacture engines here, the Navratna defence PSU has to get into an agreement with Russia to source components since drawing and raw materials are their intellectual property.
Besides critical engine parts which Russia is unlikely to give licence for manufacturing here, there are assemblies, sub-assemblies, 60 to 70 alloys, and 200-300 bars like raw materials which fill an engine kit of a Sukhoi, sources explained while referring to the highly technical and complex engineering behind it.
However, due to global conflict, the supply chain of raw materials for engine manufacturing has been majorly disrupted, sources pointed out which would also be taken up during Indian delegation meeting with Russians.
These aeroengines, which will be manufactured by HAL’s Koraput Division, are expected to fulfil the IAF’s requirement to sustain the operational capability of the Su-30 fleet for the defence preparedness of the country. The IAF has 260 such jets in its fleet. Based on life expiry of engines, the fighters will go in for replacement.
The HAL, which has been doing the maintenance and repair of SU-30MKIs, handed over to the IAF the first AL-31FP Aero Engine, manufactured under the 240 engine contract, last month. IAF sources said that it could be from engine kits HAL has already bought from the Russia for repair and maintenance of the jets.
As per the contractual delivery schedule, the HAL would supply 30 aero-engines per annum. Over the next eight years, the supply of all 240 AL-31FP Aero Engines would be completed. By the end of the delivery programme, HAL would enhance the indigenisation content up to 63 percent in the engine manufacturing.
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