CCS approves buying 240 aero engines from HAL for Rs 26,000 crore

As per the Defence Ministry, the supply of these aero-engines by HAL would meet the fleet sustenance requirement of IAF to continue their unhindered operations and strengthen the defence preparedness of the country.

Cabinet Committee on Security, CCS approval, 240 aero-engines, Su-30 MKI aircraft, Indian Air Force, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, Indian express news

Last year, the IAF had floated an Expression of Interest for the repair and overhaul of 18 AL-31 FP aero engines for five years (File Photo/Representational)

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) Monday approved a proposal to procure 240 aero-engines for the Su-30 MKI aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) at a cost of over Rs 26,000 crore, the Defence Ministry said.

The engines (AL-31FP) will be procured under ‘Buy (Indian)’ category from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), it said in a statement. The delivery of these aero-engines will start after a year and be completed over eight years.

The IAF has around 260 SU-30 MKI aircraft which form the backbone of its fighter fleet. The fourth-generation fighter jet is powered by two AL-31 FP aero engines. AL-31FP is a high-temperature turbojet by-pass engine of modular design.

As per the Defence Ministry, the supply of these aero-engines by HAL would meet the fleet sustenance requirement of IAF to continue their unhindered operations and strengthen the defence preparedness of the country.

This means the existing engines of over 100 SU-30 MKIs reaching the end of their operational life will be replaced with the new engines.
The engines will have indigenous content over 54 per cent, enhanced due to indigenisation of some key components of aero-engines and will be manufactured at the Koraput division of HAL.

Last year, the IAF had floated an Expression of Interest for the repair and overhaul of 18 AL-31 FP aero engines for five years. This year, HAL secured a contract to deliver over 100 Klimov RD-33 engines to power the MiG-29 upgraded fleet of the IAF.

Amrita Nayak Dutta

Amrita Nayak Dutta writes on defence and national security as part of the national bureau of The Indian Express. In the past, Amrita has extensively reported on the media industry and broadcasting matters, urban affairs, bureaucracy and government policies. In the last 14 years of her career, she has worked in newspapers as well as in the online media space and is well versed with the functioning of both newsrooms. Amrita has worked in the northeast, Mumbai and Delhi. She has travelled extensively across the country, including in far-flung border areas, to bring detailed reports from the ground and has written investigative reports on media and defence. She has been working for The Indian Express since January 2023. ... Read More

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