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8ak - Indian Defence News: Eurojet could transfer single crystal blade technology to India
Eurojet could transfer single crystal blade technology to India
04 Feb 2009 8ak: Eurojet management today confirmed that if required they are willing to transfer single crystal turbine blade technology. This is currently not under the scope of the RFP and a separate agreement would have to be signed.
Under the license production of the Russian Sukhoi Su-30MKI it is believed that Russia transferred some of this technology to India, however Mr Harmut Tenter, Managing Director of Eurojet claims that their technology is a generation ahead. This is a complex process in which the entire blade is a single giant crystal. The end result is that the blades can withstand up to 200 degree higher temperatures whilst also improving the efficiency of the engine. More on the engine technology here.
On the offsets issue, Mr Tenter pointed out to their good working relationship with HAL on the gearbox for the ALH Dhruv which is amongst the most advanced in the world. They are open to any company that the MoD nominates and would like to see greater opportunity to partnership with the Indian private sector. Meanwhile in the U.K. Rolls Royce has won a US$1.4 billion contract to maintain the Eurojet engines in their Typhoons. In this light, Mr Tender was asked whether there could be a role for the Indian private sector in engine maintenance; he replied that this is entirely possible but solely for the IAF to decide.
While low initial orders would mean that the numbers may not justify setting up a complete production facility in India, Mr Tenter says that this is something they could consider in the future even for areas unrelated to the current engine order. Eurojet has repeatedly claimed that they are looking at long term partnerships and points to the success of Airbus company as an example of a very successful European consortium.
On Feb 2 after the LCA test and demonstration, defence minister, Mr A.K. Anthony declared an additional 8,000 crores (~US$1.8b) for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas programme. It is believed that a significant portion of this is for the engine technology. While Sncema has offered to help resolve the problems with the Kaveri engine, the need of the IAF is urgent and it is felt that even DRDO cannot justify the delay that would arise from waiting for the Kaveri-Snecma engine to be developed. This means that only GE's F414 and Eurojet are in the competition for the LCA engine.
Some analysts feel that India would be more susceptible to sanctions from Eurojet, since it is a consortium of companies from 4 countries, than from the U.S. In response, Mr Tenter said that during Kargil war, work continued uninterrupted. He added that should India choose Eurojet, it is a minimum 40 year relationship and a commitment that Eurojet and their partner countries take very seriously. Germany signed a defence co-operation agreement with India in 2006 and is the lead nation in the Eurojet consortium.
Reading an article from two years ago on the Kaveri - GE - Eurojet dilema, it seems that even though the issue was just as urgent 2 years ago, no action was taken. 8ak believes that whether GE or Eurojet wins, the issue must be resolved quickly and the long delayed Tejas deployed in numbers that could bring down costs to make it suitable for the export market.
Eurojet could transfer single crystal blade technology to India
04 Feb 2009 8ak: Eurojet management today confirmed that if required they are willing to transfer single crystal turbine blade technology. This is currently not under the scope of the RFP and a separate agreement would have to be signed.
Under the license production of the Russian Sukhoi Su-30MKI it is believed that Russia transferred some of this technology to India, however Mr Harmut Tenter, Managing Director of Eurojet claims that their technology is a generation ahead. This is a complex process in which the entire blade is a single giant crystal. The end result is that the blades can withstand up to 200 degree higher temperatures whilst also improving the efficiency of the engine. More on the engine technology here.
On the offsets issue, Mr Tenter pointed out to their good working relationship with HAL on the gearbox for the ALH Dhruv which is amongst the most advanced in the world. They are open to any company that the MoD nominates and would like to see greater opportunity to partnership with the Indian private sector. Meanwhile in the U.K. Rolls Royce has won a US$1.4 billion contract to maintain the Eurojet engines in their Typhoons. In this light, Mr Tender was asked whether there could be a role for the Indian private sector in engine maintenance; he replied that this is entirely possible but solely for the IAF to decide.
While low initial orders would mean that the numbers may not justify setting up a complete production facility in India, Mr Tenter says that this is something they could consider in the future even for areas unrelated to the current engine order. Eurojet has repeatedly claimed that they are looking at long term partnerships and points to the success of Airbus company as an example of a very successful European consortium.
On Feb 2 after the LCA test and demonstration, defence minister, Mr A.K. Anthony declared an additional 8,000 crores (~US$1.8b) for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas programme. It is believed that a significant portion of this is for the engine technology. While Sncema has offered to help resolve the problems with the Kaveri engine, the need of the IAF is urgent and it is felt that even DRDO cannot justify the delay that would arise from waiting for the Kaveri-Snecma engine to be developed. This means that only GE's F414 and Eurojet are in the competition for the LCA engine.
Some analysts feel that India would be more susceptible to sanctions from Eurojet, since it is a consortium of companies from 4 countries, than from the U.S. In response, Mr Tenter said that during Kargil war, work continued uninterrupted. He added that should India choose Eurojet, it is a minimum 40 year relationship and a commitment that Eurojet and their partner countries take very seriously. Germany signed a defence co-operation agreement with India in 2006 and is the lead nation in the Eurojet consortium.
Reading an article from two years ago on the Kaveri - GE - Eurojet dilema, it seems that even though the issue was just as urgent 2 years ago, no action was taken. 8ak believes that whether GE or Eurojet wins, the issue must be resolved quickly and the long delayed Tejas deployed in numbers that could bring down costs to make it suitable for the export market.
