HAL and Safran Helicopter Engines have signed a contract to design and build a new high power helicopter engine, Aravalli.

The agreement was formalised through SAFHAL Helicopter Engines, the joint venture the two companies had already set up together. Under this deal, SAFHAL will handle the design, development, manufacturing, supply and long-term support for the new engine.

So what makes Aravalli special? It falls in the 3,500 to 4,000 shaft horsepower class, which is a serious jump in power for Indian rotorcraft. This engine is meant to power HAL’s upcoming 13 tonne Indian Multi-Role Helicopter, along with its naval version, the Deck-Based Multi-Role Helicopter.

Named after one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world, Aravalli is being built with a bigger goal in mind too. India has long depended on foreign suppliers for high-power aero engines, and this programme is a direct attempt to change that.

HAL Chairman and Managing Director Ravi K said the contract marks real progress toward self-reliance in engine technology. He added that the programme would support both the IMRH and DBMRH while also strengthening India’s broader aerospace manufacturing base.

Safran’s CEO Cedric Goubet called this a first for his company too, since it’s the first time Safran Helicopter Engines has co-developed an engine of this size and power class with a partner. He described the programme as a new chapter in the France-India defence relationship.

This isn’t the first time HAL and Safran have worked together. Their partnership goes back decades, starting with the Artouste engines that once powered the Cheetah and Chetak helicopters, and continuing through the Shakti engine family used in India’s Advanced Light Helicopter, Light Combat Helicopter and Light Utility Helicopter.

The Aravalli programme is expected to go beyond just military use as well. HAL noted that the technology could eventually support civil applications like offshore transport, utility missions and VVIP transport, while also helping build up India’s domestic maintenance, repair and overhaul capabilities for aircraft engines.

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