On Saturday, the Sitara IJT passed an important milestone. The newly-developed Russian AL-55I engine "" which was specially designed by Russian engine maker, NPO Saturn, to power the Sitara "" was successfully tested in a ground run at HAL. |
But the jubilation has a bitter edge. Even as the Bangalore complex celebrates, it is dealing with a Russian demand for more money. NPO Saturn claims that it has spent more time and money on developing the AL-55I engine than it had bargained for, and that manufacturing technology will only be transferred to India if HAL pays NPO Saturn an extra $64 million, over and above the contracted amount. The Russian company had beaten out French engine maker Snecma in 2005, in the $350-million contract to design the AL-55I engine and transfer technology to build it in India.
Top Ministry of Defence (MoD) sources are furious; they allege Russia is repeating what it did with the Gorshkov aircraft carrier. HAL's design chief is in Moscow trying "" so far unsuccessfully to persuade NPO Saturn to lower its demands.
Russia's ambassador to New Delhi, Vyacheslav Trubnikov acknowledges, that NPO Saturn has asked for more money, but he told Business Standard that he expects an amicable resolution of this issue. Trubnikov said, "Both sides are engaged in the fixing of the price. I don't think the question is extraordinary. Discussions are in progress on the question of how many engines India will be allowed to manufacture."
Sources in HAL, however, point out that all these issues had been settled as a part of the original contract between HAL and NPO Saturn. Adding to India's frustration is the role of Russia's state-owned arms agency, Rosoboronexport, which has been telling HAL that it should pay up quietly.
As with the Gorshkov aircraft carrier, for which Russia cited cost overruns to double the contracted price to $1.2 billion, India has little choice but to pay up. MoD sources point out that even with the extra $64 million added on, NPO Saturn's price will be less than what Snecma quoted. They also grudgingly accept that Russia is the only major arms manufacturer that actually transfers all the technology to India that is demanded in a contract. But the biggest reason for paying up quietly is that the IJT programme, which has already waited three years for this engine, will face a delay of several more years if it launches an international search for another engine.
While waiting for the AL-55I engine to be developed, India has flown the IJT with an interim engine, the French Larzac power plant, which was never powerful enough for the Sitara. The AL-55I generates 20 per cent more power than the Larzac and also consumes appreciably less fuel per flying hour.
