Safran Helicopter Engines and Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) have signed a workshare agreement for the joint development of the engine intended for the future 13-tonne Indian MultiRole Helicopter (IMRH) and its naval version Deck-Based MultiRole Helicopter (DBMRH).

According to the statement shared with stock exchanges, this agreement follows the memorandum of understanding signed on July 9, 2022, and stipulates the sharing of activities within the joint venture where both parties have agreed on an equivalent repartition.

In particular, HAL will participate in the design, development, and production of some of the core engine components, which is a ground-breaking achievement in terms of the country's expertise and know-how.

Florent Chauvancy, Executive Vice-President for Sales and Marketing, Safran Helicopter Engines, and K Ramesh, General Manager, HAL Aero Engine Research and Design Centre, signed this workshare agreement in the presence of C B Ananthakrishnan, CMD, HAL, and Franck Saudo, CEO, Safran Helicopter Engines.

The Indian MultiRole Helicopter (IMRH) is still being developed, and HAL is displaying a 1/3 scale model at Aero India 2023 in Bengaluru.

Discussions with the Indian Armed Forces about the operational requirements for this new helicopter are also ongoing. The availability of an indigenous engine, according to the joint statement, will enhance the platform's self-reliance content and demonstrates the commitment of both Safran Helicopter Engines and HAL to the Indian government's vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat, or achieving self-reliance — particularly in defence technologies.

C B Ananthakrishnan, CMD, HAL, stated: “The joint development of high power engine is a new milestone in HAL’s ever-growing capabilities in the sector with a competent partner like Safran Helicopter Engines. We are confident of making the engine meet the highly stringent and demanding requirements of Indian Defence customers.”

Franck Saudo, CEO, Safran Helicopter Engines, commented, “While this programme will bring many advanced technologies to the Indian aerospace ecosystem and to HAL, it will also provide the Indian Armed Forces with state-of-the-art solutions.”

In the coming months, Safran and HAL will continue to work on the development of this joint venture, which is intended to develop engines not only for the IMRH but also for other helicopters, according to the joint statement.

Safran Helicopter Engine and HAL also agreed on the terms for transferring to HAL the right to manufacture seven critical engine forging and casting raw parts.

HAL is currently developing the Indian MultiRole Helicopter for the Indian Armed Forces for air assault, air-attack, anti-submarine, anti-surface, military transport, and VIP transport roles.