Honeywell claims that compared to the current Adour Mk811 engines fitted on the IAF Jaguars, its proven and mass-produced F125IN is 267.6 kg (590 lb) lighter, while offering between 17 per cent and 40 per cent higher thrust, thereby offering the Jaguar a two tonne (4,400 lb) payload increase

Honeywell’s large footp rint in India was revealed more than adequately during a recent informal discussion between its Country Head Pritam Bhavnani and SP’s Aviation. Having entered the Indian market way back in the 1920s, Honeywell continued to expand its presence over the decades to emerge as a large employer and revenue generator for India. Today, more than 10,000 (mostly Indian) employees including 6,000 highly skilled engineers or eight per cent of global Honeywell workforce is based in India. This represents in-country presence of all the Honeywell strategic business groups such as aerospace, transportation and specialty materials and automation control systems, making India a significant export hub for both products and engineering services with an annual turnover exceeding Rs. 1,400 crore ($280 million). Along with five manufacturing locations and four global technology and engineering centres, Honeywell has established key presence in 10 cities and sales support in as many as 50 cities across India.

Partnering India

Honeywell has become a major partner with Indian industry and institutes through Honeywell Technical Solutions (HTS) in Bangalore and Engineering Commercialisation Centre in Gurgaon to make India a hub for aerospace development. India’s aerospace defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs) have also benefitted greatly with the licensed-production of Honeywell’s TPE 331-10 turboprop engines (fitted on Dornier DO228 aircraft) and radars. For example, Honeywell’s TPE 331-10 represents the first aerospace engine to be completely manufactured in India by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the worldwide market.

Re-engining IAF’s Jaguar Combat Aircraft

Jaguar combat aircraft fleet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) has been a key strike asset since the aircraft’s induction into service in 1979. But owing to its poor thrust/weight ratio especially in the max all-up weight (AUW) configuration, the aircraft suffers from serious deficiencies vis-à-vis take-off distances in ‘hot or/and high’ conditions. Also, it can not climb to high altitudes without the use of afterburners for low-high-low missions against high-altitude targets or, where terrain demands transition at high altitudes. Having improved its avionics to a considerable extent and in view of the IAF’s decision to keep the fleet going for another two decade or so, the service has been looking at alternate engines with higher thrust to power its Jaguars for greater mission relevance and enhanced flight safety.

It was in January 2009 that the IAF HQ set up a highlevel systems evaluation committee under Dr K.V.L. Rao with the task to identify a suitable turbofan for re-engining of the Jaguar. Bidding for supplying up to 280 turbofans (including 40 spare engines) were UK-based Rolls-Royce and the USbased Honeywell Aerospace. Honeywell has offered its F125IN, a 43.8kN thrust (with afterburning) turbofan. Rolls-Royce, whose Adour Mk811 (rated at 32.5kN thrust with afterburning) currently powers the Jaguars, had proposed its Adour Mk821 turbofan, an afterburning variant of the Rolls-Royce Adour Mk871 fitted on the Hawk 132 AJT being supplied to the IAF. Rolls-Royce has since withdrawn from the competition.

Honeywell Aerospace claims that compared to the current Adour Mk811 engines fitted on the IAF Jaguars, its proven and massproduced F125IN is 267.6 kg (590 lb) lighter, while offering between 17 per cent and 40 per cent higher thrust, thereby affording the Jaguar a two tonne (4,400 lb) payload increase. In addition, Honeywell Aerospace asserts that F125IN-powered Jaguars will see a 23 per cent reduction in takeoff distance, faster climb up to 6,090 metres (20,000 feet) without utilising afterburners, and 36 per cent extended range due to improved specific fuel consumption and reduced usage of afterburners. Also, the F125IN has been claimed to improve combat survivability by incorporating an auto restart feature while airborne. A dual full authority digital engine control (FADEC) capability with automatic back-up operating modes (like continuous diagnostics/engine monitoring system, and fault detection logic) dramatically reduces the pilot workload, according to Honeywell Aerospace.