India’s long quest to build a fully indigenous, world-class fighter aircraft ecosystem has crossed a decisive milestone, with Safran CEO Olivier Andries confirming critical details of the next-generation turbofan engine being co-developed with the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE). The joint engine programme, central to India’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), will feature a scalable thrust range of 120 to 140 kilonewtons—an announcement that carries strategic implications far beyond a single aircraft variant.
The confirmation puts to rest months of speculation around the propulsion roadmap for the AMCA and, more significantly, points toward the emergence of a heavier, more capable stealth fighter derivative in the future. According to senior defence sources familiar with the programme, the engine family is being developed in two distinct thrust classes to support divergent operational requirements and long-term growth.
The 120 kN version is intended for the AMCA Mk2 in its standard configuration, forming the backbone of India’s fifth-generation fighter ambitions. The higher-thrust 140 kN variant, however, is being positioned for a heavier AMCA derivative that remains under active discussion within India’s defence and aerospace planning circles. While not yet formally announced, the existence of this thrust class strongly indicates that the AMCA is being conceived not as a single static design, but as a scalable combat platform.
This development also clarifies recent confusion surrounding the AMCA’s weight specifications. Reports in late 2024 and early 2025 suggested that the aircraft’s maximum take-off weight (MTOW) had increased from 25 tonnes to 27 tonnes, raising questions about design creep and engine adequacy. At Aero India 2025, the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) firmly stated that the baseline AMCA remains a 25-tonne aircraft. Fresh insights now suggest that the higher 27-tonne figure applies to a future, heavier variant optimized around the 140 kN engine rather than the core Mk2 configuration.
A heavier AMCA would demand significantly more power, not merely to compensate for additional mass but to preserve the performance characteristics expected of a frontline stealth fighter. Defence analysts note that the 140 kN thrust class provides critical headroom across multiple domains. Increased thrust would allow for a larger internal fuel fraction, extending combat radius without compromising stealth. It would also enable expanded internal weapons bays, accommodating heavier or longer-range munitions while maintaining low observability.
Equally important is the growing power and cooling demand of modern combat aircraft. Advanced avionics, sensor fusion systems, electronic warfare suites, and directed-energy-ready architectures generate enormous heat loads. Managing this thermal stress has become as central to fighter design as aerodynamics or radar cross-section reduction. The higher-output engine would offer the electrical power generation and thermal margins needed to support such systems over the aircraft’s operational life.
Crucially, analysts emphasize that a 140 kN engine is essential to preserving supercruise capability—the ability to sustain supersonic flight without engaging fuel-intensive afterburners—even as airframe weight and onboard systems increase. Supercruise is a defining attribute of fifth-generation fighters, directly influencing survivability, response time, and mission flexibility.
Despite the impressive thrust figures, questions remain about how this engine family aligns with India’s longer-term sixth-generation ambitions. Experts point out that true sixth-generation fighters are expected to rely on Variable Cycle Engines (VCE) or Adaptive Cycle Engines (ACE), which can dynamically alter bypass ratios to balance high thrust, fuel efficiency, and thermal management across different flight regimes. The United States and the United Kingdom are already pursuing such technologies for their future combat aircraft programmes.
The Safran-GTRE engine, while incorporating cutting-edge materials, advanced thermal barrier coatings, and a high-pressure core architecture, will not initially feature adaptive cycle capability. As such, it is optimized squarely for fifth-generation platforms like the AMCA rather than a clean-sheet sixth-generation fighter.
However, programme insiders stress that the engine’s design philosophy is deliberately forward-looking. The core architecture is being built with modularity and growth potential in mind, allowing substantial upgrades over time. This evolutionary approach mirrors the development of successful American engine families such as the F110 and F119, which matured through incremental enhancements and ultimately informed adaptive-cycle research.
Under current plans, the 120–140 kN engine family will power the AMCA Mk2 and any heavier derivatives well into the 2030s and 2040s. Beyond that, the same core technologies could be adapted to incorporate variable-cycle elements, forming the propulsion backbone of India’s eventual sixth-generation combat aircraft.
The engine programme is expected to be formally launched in 2026, with the immediate technical objective being successful core engine runs by 2032. While ambitious, the timeline reflects a growing confidence within India’s aerospace establishment, bolstered by international collaboration and lessons learned from earlier indigenous engine efforts.
More than a propulsion project, the Safran-GTRE partnership represents a strategic shift. By securing a scalable, modular engine family aligned with global standards, India is not merely developing a single fighter aircraft—it is laying the foundation for a sovereign, long-term combat aviation ecosystem. If executed as planned, the programme could ensure that India retains both operational relevance and industrial autonomy in military aviation for decades to come.
