Reports emerged from Aero India 2011 that Rolls Royce planned not to participate in the Indian Air Force Jaguar re-engining competition. The sense you get from the reports is that Rolls Royce has problems with the fact that this is an engine replacement programme rather than an engine upgrade, which if true, would be problematic. Why? Well, as far as the current competition is concerned, the Jaguar engine competition wasn’t strictly meant to be an upgrade. It was in fact to be be an engine replacement or “re-engining” effort.
Here, according to my sources, are the facts as they stand now: Rolls Royce’s offer was “an optimised cost effective/low risk Adour ‘engine upgrade programme which would minimise aircraft integration and would utilise the existing Adour infrastructure in HAL”, which basically means that the company had offered to replace/upgrade certain key components and subsystems in the Jaguar fleet’s existing Mk811 engines to bring them up to the required performance parameters. In effect, this would be a selective engine upgrade, and not a full replacement. However, the RFP that went out called for a full engine replacement (a point confirmed at the IAF chief’s press conference at Aero India). I’m not completely clear yet why the Mk821 can’t just be offered as an engine replacement for the Jaguars. The commonality advantage would still, conceivably, exist wouldn’t it?
Either way, the situation leaves Honeywell the sole competitor in the 200-engine competition. Does this mean the process gets aborted? Or can the IAF push through a single-vendor purchase?
I think the proven and new RR Engine shall be given preference after due tests and demonstrations.
I HOPE THE IAF PUSH FOR A SINGLE VENDOR AND NOT DELAY THE ALREADY DELAYED PROGRAM AND GET THAT BEAUTIFUL BIRD IN THE SKY WITH MORE MUSCLE
everything in our country is falling apart. only thing prospering is the money taken home by babus.
shiv the way this goes you should report only deals that get through and that its an event in itself
F125IN is gr8….
Specs of the proposed honeywell engine is actually quite good!!Thanks shiv for answering my question.cheers!
Nah The F-125IN far better engine allwing for more thrust, higher range and payload ability..thankfully the RR engine isnt in the deal. Honeywell engine will make the Jaguar purr
If it gets aborted who else could offer an eninge within a reasonable time period. Probably honeywell only.
This is called sales technic if the jag gets better engine it will stay for next 15-20 years or so no new planes will be procured to replace it with old or uncompatable engine the plan will retire in 10 yrs or less new planes have to be procured or manufactured where is more profit you have to make that out
Shiv, a request, IN floating tender for buying 6 submarine at $ 1.8 billion per submarine!! It is huge for even nuclear submarine. Pls raise this issue. We don't want another huge scandal.
IAF should reframe the tender to allow both engines to compete. The old Jags need a low risk, quickly executable solution that can give them another 15 years of flying. F125 is a new engine that needs huge amount of engineering on the existing fuselage and it is doubtful that all the documentation and drawings are available. An upgrade will do the job just so much better and fast and make best use of HAL infrastructure avalable. As reported. A single vendor situation mus be avoided.
honeywell is offering good engine
Honeywell F125IN – Jaguar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QISldH-zAP0&feature=related
AK Antony is the absolute worst defence minister in 50 years of Indian history. On one hand every defence deal moves at a snail's pace and gets cancelled again and again. On the other hand his 'Mr. Clean' policy of avoiding corruption also fails(Scorpene scam, Adarsh scam, army ration scam, you can bet all those single-vendor American purchases also have hidden bribes).
To think there was a time(back in the days of the NDA government) when people would understandingly accept when the Armed Forces sought a single supplier for a purchase based on track record and evaluation, instead of issuing a tender that takes 5 years only for the vendors to get blacklisted on flimsy grounds and the tender cancelled due to 'single vendor situation'.