A British company is looking to engage with the Indian Army to explore engine design in air, sea and land systems (Photo: Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer, courtesy of Wikipedia)
By Vikas Gupta
Defence News of India, 19 October 21
As China’s growing aggression in the Asia-Pacific drives strategic convergence between India, the US and the UK; British high-tech company Rolls-Royce sees strategy, politics and technology converging to create a compelling case for major investment in India.
Rolls-Royce executives at DefExpo 22 defense exhibition stress that they are the only global original equipment manufacturer (OEM) seeking to engage with the Indian Army in the area of “more high technology” of engine design in three dimensions – air, sea and land.
Navy Gas Turbines
In aircraft carrier propulsion, Rolls-Royce is launching its M-30 turbines, which provide all-electric drive to the Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers.
While New Delhi rules out nuclear propulsion for India’s second aircraft carrier (IAC-2), which is still in the design phase, Rolls-Royce executives point out that the MT30 has already proven its ability to fly HMS Queen Elizabeth from 65,000 tons. . The IAC-2 is also designed as a 65,000 ton transporter.
Rolls-Royce claims the MT30 is “engineered with approximately 50% fewer parts than other aero-derived gas turbines in its class…and can be configured in mechanical, electric or hybrid drive configurations. “.
Rolls-Royce is also supplying India with the WR-21 turbine, which powers the Royal Navy’s Type 45 Daring-class destroyers. The Indian Navy has so far built its destroyers and frigates with Russian or Ukrainian turbines, or with the General Electric (GE) LM-2500 gas turbine.
The WR-21 is more than a match for the LM-2500, say Rolls-Royce engineers. But Type 45 destroyers also have a worrying record of mid-ocean breakdowns, most recently earlier this year when a destroyer that was accompanying HMS Queen Elizabeth as part of her battle group had to go to port for repairs.
“We need to be sure that India understands the uniqueness of these offers; because they not only include a transfer of capacity and manufacturing, but also of the know-how and know-how of the WR-21”, explains Alex Zino, who manages business development and future programs for Rolls-Royce.
Aero engines
Rolls-Royce has a long history of partnership with India in manufacturing and operating aero engines. Currently, some 750 Rolls-Royce engines power aircraft in service with the IAF, Indian Navy and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
These include: the Adour engines, which power the Hawk advanced jet trainer and the Jaguar deep penetration strike aircraft; the Gnome Engine that powers the Navy’s Sea King helicopters; the Dart, which powers the Air Force’s HS-748 Avro aircraft; and the AE2100 and AE3007 engines that power the C-130J Super Hercules and Embraer 145 early warning mid-air (AEW) aircraft, respectively.
Many of these aircraft engines were built under license at HAL’s engine division in Bangalore. Although Rolls-Royce’s marine engines are fewer in number, they are “aero-derivative” engines, meaning they were originally aero engines that had been redesigned as marine engines.
For Rolls-Royce, the big prize in Indian aero engines is the opportunity to design and develop a power unit for the Medium Advanced Combatant Aircraft (AMCA), which will form the backbone of the fleet. of fifth-generation IAF fighters from a decade ago. now.
“It’s about co-creating the intellectual property (IP) that goes into a whole new fighter engine. From our perspective, it’s going to be an entirely new design and it’s going to take a decade to create,” Zino said. .
light tank engine
The DRDO is designing and developing a new light tank, to prevent other Indian troops from being under-equipped in places such as eastern Ladakh, where the Indian army has found itself against Chinese armor.
While the Indian side did an honorable job of moving their T-72 tanks to the Chushul area, it required long road trips which wore down the Indian tanks, as well as the Indian roads. Army planners gave the DRDO the green light to develop a 35-40 ton light tank, and the DRDO settled on an MTU MB 838 engine that generates 1,400 horsepower.
The German engine manufacturer MTU has been acquired by Rolls-Royce Power Systems.
