Russian AL-55I Aero Engine to Power Indian Combat Trainers

Released on Tuesday, August 16, 2005

On August 16, 2005, the opening day of the MAKS 2005 International Aviation and Space Salon (the town of Zhukovsky, August 16-21, 2005), the Rosoboronexport State Corporation and the Indian Corporation Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) signed a general contract on license production of the AL-55I aeroengines at HAL facilities.

The agreement covers the whole spectrum of works from the new engine's development up to its serial production and export. According to the general contract the HAL Corporation has the right to produce 1,000 engines. At first 250 units of AL-55I will be manufactured. The Ufa Engine Manufacturing Plant JSC is identified as the main integrator on organization of license production.

The Indian side has chosen the Russian engine in the result of a convincing victory of Rosoboronexport, representing the developer of the AL-55I engine - the Saturn Science and Production Enterprise, over European manufacturers in the tender for engine project for the perspective HJT-36 trainer and the newest HJT-39 combat-trainer of the Indian Air Force. Russian aircraft builders have managed to develop such an engine actually from scratch, which enables Indian pilots to perfect flight skills on practically all types of Indian Air Force fighters of Russian and foreign origin, including Mig-29, Su-30MKI, Mirage-2000.

Signing of the agreement with India is very important for the further development of bilateral military-technical cooperation. Rosoboronexport is confident, that Russian-Indian partnership relations in military-technical sphere have good perspectives and solid potential, realization of which will serve economic prosperity of our countries and strengthening of international stability.