It is certainly of concern, but I think the delinking from AMCA mk1 and probably concrete steps we may take in the next few months will help shape the future of the engine for our own platforms. Even if we don't make a complete engine ourselves, setting up the infrastructure to test an engine and then powering a prototype with it will propel us into the future.fanne wrote:My criticism of AMCA is around the engine -110 kn engine which no other country makes ( and we do not have the wherewithal to make one in the first attempt- even if we could from risk angle it is not the right strategy). Either we descope and plan around a lesser powerful engine(f414) from a known house or scale up with a larger power engine with known engine house. If we develop engine ourselves great else there is a backup plan.
Hoping we sign the agreement with Safran for a
1. INFRA 100 (60/100KN) and
2. INFRA 115 (70/115KN) engines.
That will ensure that LCA Mk2 and AMCA Mk1 and Mk2 will forever be independent. IMO, it is ok for now to not produce the most critical 15% hot zone of the engine.
In another 10-20 years post making 85% of the engine, perhaps we can have our engine if we continue to invest into our own R&D heavily.