Honeywell Develops New Engine for Indian Air Force Jaguar Fighters

Honeywell's aerospace division is exploring opportunities for forging partnerships with Indian companies that are keen to address the demand for offsets in defence deals, said Pritam Bhavnani, President of Honeywell's Aerospace Division in India, on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters here, Mr. Bhavnani said, Honeywell had developed a new engine for the Jaguar aircraft. "We have provided the new engine to Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) and the Indian Air Force," he said.

About Honeywell's sourcing agreement with HAL for engines for turbo prop aircraft, Mr. Bhavnani said the first phase of the project was almost over. In the second phase HAL is to supply 400 additional parts. The third phase is likely to be completed in 2011, he said.

The sourcing agreement between the two companies requires HAL to supply Honeywell 600 aircraft engines over a 10-15-year period, Mr. Bhavnani said. Referring to the role played by Honeywell's facilities in Bangalore, Mr. Bhavnani said employees here had contributed to the development of the smart runaway landing and smart landing system.

He said the newly developed system would help aircraft pilots have "better situational awareness, especially in adverse weather conditions." He said Emirates airline and Alaska Airlines, among others, had shown interest in procuring the new system.

Honeywell employs 11,000 persons in India, constituting 8 per cent of its global workforce.