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Combat aircraft engine: Eurojet ready to help

BANGALORE: As India tries to break into the elite group of countries that have designed and developed combat aircraft engines, Eurojet Turbo GmbH the European consortium that builds and maintains the advanced military turbofan Eurojet EJ200 says it is ready to assist India: either by developing an engine together or transferring technology on the EJ200.

The EJ200 is the power plant of the Eurofighter Typhoon, one of the world’s most advanced combat aircraft and a contender vying for the $11 billion, 126 combat aircraft deal that India is contemplating signing.

Speaking to The Hindu, Eurojet’s Business Development Executive Paul Herrmann said the consortium, whose partner companies are Rolls-Royce, Avio of Italy, ITP of Spain and MTU Aero Engines of Germany, was ready to transfer “secured data” (software) related to the EJ200’s development, envelope, handling, and performance in flight to the Aeronautical Developing Agency(ADA), the defence laboratory, which is developing the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas.

The Eurojet has already signed a non-disclosure agreement with ADA. “If India wants our technology to develop an engine for the Tejas we are ready. We would like an arrangement that goes beyond just consultancy, even a risk and revenue sharing relationship. ADA will shortly do a detailed assessment of our engine.”

According to Mr. Herrmann transferring the software would not be a problem in the wake of the Defence cooperation agreement signed between India and Germany in September 2006, and the enlarged bilateral defence cooperation statement issued jointly by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and German Chancellor Angela Merkel last October.

The statement envisages the scope of defence cooperation to include exchange of information and cooperation in defence technological research, armament procurement projects including project related development and defence technology.

“We know that the Tejas has to be capable of performing as a trainer, and both from a carrier as well as from the land. We have also made a presentation to the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE).”

Commenting on the performance of the Kaveri under development, he said that though it was good, its thermo dynamic cycle was being built to a criteria that was over 20 years old. “The turbo mechanism needs to be re-considered depending for what purpose the aircraft is being used, and it also has to be put together in a new way.”

The Eurojet representatives have also met and made a presentation to senior officers of the Indian Air Force (IAF), the end-users of the Tejas. Sources point out that the IAF has been viewing the EJ200 quite favourably.

Production of the EJ200 started in 2002. So far over 400 of these engines have been delivered to customers. While Tranche 2 of the EJ200 engines which feature innovative engine control and monitoring technology have already started, Tranche 3, which could offer thrust vectoring is being evaluated.

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