HAL shall be accountable for the helicopter design, whereas SAFHAL will present the engines.
Safran Helicopter Engines and Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) have joined forces in a partnership, referred to as ‘SAFHAL’ for growing engines for 2 new medium-lift helicopters and supplying them to the Indian armed forces. HAL chairman CB Ananthakrishnan mentioned the partnership with SAFHAL was a major step in direction of reaching self-reliance in India’s aerospace and defence sectors.
HAL will be accountable for the helicopter design, whereas SAFHAL will present the engines. The objective is to create a high-power engine, named ‘Aravalli’, for the Indian Multi-Role Helicopter (IMRH) and Deck-Based Multi-Role Helicopter (DBMRH) for the naval variant. The title, ‘Aravalli’, impressed by India’s majestic mountain vary, symbolizes the nation’s aspirations to self-reliance in crucial engine applied sciences.
This collaboration will contain designing, growing, manufacturing, supplying and supporting the new engines. Since February 2023, the firms have been contemplating working collectively on a joint growth challenge. They signed an settlement in July 2022 associated to the IMRH/DBMRH helicopters. The collaboration won’t solely improve the operational capabilities of IMRH and DBMRH helicopters, but additionally contribute to the total objective of growing crucial defence applied sciences inside the nation.
Safran Helicopter Engines chief government Cedric Goubet mentioned the challenge would strengthen the partnership between HAL and Safran, in addition to improve the strategic relationship between India and France. Their mixed experience and assets will guarantee the success of the IMRH and DBMRH programmes.
HAL is growing the 13-ton IMRH to exchange the Mil Mi-17 helicopters utilized by the Indian Air Force (IAF). The IMRH could have the capability to hold as much as 36 troops. The 12.5-ton DBMRH shall be utilized by the Indian Navy. SAFHAL will collaborate with its father or mother firms to develop superior engine applied sciences that supply superior efficiency, reliability and operational effectivity. The ‘Aravalli’ engines shall be designed to function successfully in numerous troublesome environments and contain rigorous testing protocols to fulfill the highest world requirements.
The firm can also be contemplating different attainable makes use of for its forthcoming helicopter fashions, resembling VVIP transport, offshore operations and performing numerous civilian utility duties.
Safran Helicopter Engines SAS has been HAL’s most well-liked associate for offering engines for its helicopters. This partnership started with the Artouste engines utilized in the Cheetah and Chetak helicopters, adopted by the Shakti engine and its variations utilized in the superior mild helicopters (ALHs), mild fight helicopters (LCHs) and lightweight utility helicopters (LUHs). The present collaboration takes this longstanding relationship to a brand new stage by collectively designing and growing superior helicopter engines for use in medium-lift helicopters.
Mi-17 to IMRH: India’s Copter Evolution
The IAF has a considerable fleet of Mi-17 helicopters, together with the Mi-17, Mi-17 1V and Mi-17 V5 fashions. These helicopters function the spine of the IAF’s helicopter operations. Between 2008 and 2013, India positioned orders for 151 Mi-17V5 helicopters, with the closing deliveries accomplished in February 2016.
The IAF operates a various fleet of roughly 500 helicopters. This fleet consists of round 90 Mi-17s, over 130 Mi-17V5s and greater than 70 ALHs, together with the armed variant. The fleet additionally contains 22 AH-64E Apache assault helicopters, a squadron of Mi-35 assault helicopters, 15 CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopters and the newly inducted LCHs. The oldest Mi-17 helicopters are scheduled to be retired beginning in 2028.
HAL goals to benchmark the proposed IMRHs towards such trendy helicopters as the Russian Mi-17, Sikorsky S-92, AgustaWestland AW-101, NHIndustries NH-90 and Eurocopter EC-725, with the objective of competing in the world helicopter market. According to HAL officers, the IMRH is designed for numerous roles, together with air assault, air transport, fight logistics, fight search and rescue, casualty evacuation and even VVIP duties.
HAL plans to fabricate over 1,000 helicopters starting from 3-15 tons, aiming for a enterprise potential exceeding ₹4 lakh crore over the subsequent 20 years.
In February 2023, HAL opened its new helicopter manufacturing unit in Tumakuru, Karnataka, which is the largest of its sort in India. The facility will, initially, deal with producing the LUH. HAL has said that this manufacturing unit will, at first, produce round 30 helicopters yearly, with plans to progressively improve manufacturing to 60 and ultimately 90 helicopters every year.
The Indian Navy has expressed the want for greater than 100 MRHs and an earlier world tender for 123 MRHs has been cancelled. The navy is in the midst of inducting 24 MH-60R MRHs, acquired by way of a $2.2-billion settlement with Lockheed Martin signed in February 2020, with deliveries anticipated to be accomplished by 2025.
