GTRE Insider Criticizes France’s Track Record in AMCA Engine Talks
- Eurasia India South Asia
Shreya Naskar- 0
- 4 minutes read
A former employee of India’s Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) has strongly criticized ongoing negotiations with France for the joint development of a 110kN engine to power the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). The ex-official expressed deep scepticism about France’s track record in technology transfer (ToT), stating that French defence firms often overpromise but fail to deliver, raising concerns about their reliability as a strategic partner. France has offered India full support in developing nuclear submarines, jet engines, and underwater drones, but past experiences suggest otherwise. The former GTRE employee likened discussions with French officials to “speaking to a dead wall,” warning that history could repeat itself if India relies on France for AMCA’s propulsion system.
Lessons from the Kaveri Engine Program
The official recounted the 2010s effort to co-develop a hybrid engine by combining India’s Kaveri engine with France’s Safran M88, the engine used in Rafale fighter jets. Despite initial promises, France failed to provide meaningful ToT. According to the source, the ToT offered by Safran was:
- Limited to non-critical components
- Lacking core engine technology
- Retaining Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) over essential parts of the engine
GTRE had to abandon talks as the French refused to share critical knowledge, effectively restricting India’s ability to develop an independent fighter jet engine. The hybrid M88-2-Kaveri engine was only capable of generating 83-85kN of thrust, far below the 90-96kN required for Tejas MkII. This rendered the technology transfer insignificant and unusable for India’s future fighter programs. The former GTRE official expressed disbelief that France, which refused full ToT for a fourth-generation engine, is now proposing a fifth-generation collaboration—especially since France itself has yet to develop a fifth-generation fighter engine. Unlike the U.S. with its F135 (F-35) and adaptive engine programs or Russia’s Izdeliye 30 (Su-57), France still relies on the M88, a 75kN-class engine developed in the 1980s.
A broader issue of French reluctance to share defence technology was highlighted by Guillaume Rochard, Head of Strategy at Naval Group, during a recent roundtable discussion in Paris. He criticized German firm TKMS for enabling emerging competitors like Turkey and South Korea through heavy technology transfers. Unlike TKMS, the Naval Group deliberately restricts technology sharing to prevent competition, further proving France’s protective stance on sensitive defence technology. The AMCA engine deal could cost India over ₹70,000 crores (approx. $8.2 billion), making it one of the most expensive defence procurements. The reluctance of France to provide full ToT could mean that India pays a high price without gaining critical technology ownership, as happened in the Kaveri-Safran negotiations. Given France’s track record, the ex-GTRE official warned against relying on French collaboration for AMCA’s engine development. Without guaranteed technology transfer and full IPR rights, India risks becoming dependent on a foreign supplier, jeopardizing its goal of self-reliance in military aviation. The concerns raised reinforce the need for India to explore alternative partnerships or invest heavily in its indigenous engine development capabilities.