Hal, Turbomeca to set up JV in India

June 18, 2015 8:22 am

 Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) and Turbomeca (Safran) have signed a MoU  at the ongoing Paris Air Show to establish in India a joint venture (JV) to support customers in India as well as other countries.
 
This JV will provide maintenance, repair and overhaul for Turbomeca and HAL engines installed on HAL-produced helicopters. Therefore, the engine fleet which will be addressed is the TM333 and Shakti engines. Together, Turbomeca and HAL intend to offer their Indian customers a first-class service, with the goal of optimising engine availability.
 
With a fleet of over 1,000 engines, including 250 TM333 and 250 Shakti, India’s armed forces are the largest operator of Turbomeca-designed engines in the country. Shakti is the Indian designation of the Turbomeca Ardiden 1, co-developed with HAL, and produced under license.
 
This JV is expected to boost the “Make-in-India” drive, considering the forecast that around 1,000 Shakti engines will be flying in India over the coming years.
 
Shakti is fitted to HAL’s ALH/Dhruv rotorcraft. Over the past years, the engine has been selected to power the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) and the new, HAL-designed LUH (Light Utility Helicopter), a three-tonne single-engine aircraft under development.