AeroIndia 2009: Honeywell keen to retool IAF Jaguars
13 Feb 2009
US aerospace products giant Honeywell International is raising its pitch to re-engine the Indian Air Force's Jaguar aircraft with its F-125IN turbofan engine.
"Improved propulsion and enhanced safety features in the engine can save the IAF more than Rs7,000 crore in lifecycle costs compared to the other options being considered," senior company officials told reporters just before the launch of AeroIndia 2009 in Bangalore.
Ahead of an RFP to be issued by the IAF before awarding the Jaguar re-engining contract sometime next year, Honeywell officials took pains to reiterate that the F125N was a clear winner against competitor Rolls Royce's Adour engine.
Honeywell had demonstrated the engine at the HAL campus in Bangalore in November 2007. The company runs technology centres out of Bangalore, Hyderabad and Madurai, with automation and control systems design for the aviation sector carried out of Gurgaon, Pune and Chennai.
The Phoenix, Texas-based Honeywell expects annual revenues from its Indian operations to almost double to $1 billion in the next three years from the present $500-600 million.