Aviation Engines, Propulsion & Auxiliary Power Units

NEW DELHI - Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) and Safran Helicopter Engines have officially signed a contract with SAFHAL, their joint venture established in 2023, to power India’s next-generation heavy rotorcraft. The new deal covers the design, development, manufacture, supply, and lifecycle support for the 3,500-4,000 shp (2,610-2,983 kW) Aravalli engine.

Engineered to equip HAL’s planned 13-tonne (28,660 lb) Indian Multi-Role Helicopter (IMRH) and its naval variant, the Deck-Based Multi-Role Helicopter (DBMRH), the engine represents a significant step toward self-reliance in aerospace engine development.

The IMRH program, which has been in development for over a decade, aims to replace the Indian Air Force’s aging fleet of Mil Mi-17 helicopters with an indigenously designed platform capable of carrying up to 36 troops. While early prototypes will initially rely on interim engines producing around 2,800 shp (2,088 kW), the higher-rated Aravalli powerplant will power production aircraft if SAFHAL completes development.

Source: Flightglobal
Associated URL: https://www.flightglobal.com/helicopters-defence/2026/08/hal-safran-sign-contract-for-powerful-new-helicopter-engine/

SAN DIEGO - Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. announced an allocation of its expanded Spartan engine production capacity to support Boeing’s Joint Direct Attack Munition Long Range production program with TDI-J85 (J85) engines.

This month, the U.S. Air Force awarded Boeing a $75 million Undefinitized Contract Action (UCA) to acquire the BSU-111/B Payload Delivery Unit (PDU) Joint Direct Attack Munition Long Range (JDAM LR), a precision-guided munition that can travel over 300 nautical miles with a 500-pound class (226-kilogram) payload. The Kratos J85 engine has been selected as the high-volume, low cost engine source to power the munition.

The J85 engines are produced in Kratos’ Propulsion Manufacturing Facility in Auburn Hills. To bolster and stabilize the defense industrial base supply chain, Kratos has initiated procurement of long-lead components for Spartan engines to support a large production run for a number of customers and applications in 2027. The Boeing JDAM LR requirement is a key source of demand, as the engine was originally designed to support this application. The large run enables economies of scale for cost and to address the published need by the Department of War to expand the U.S. industrial base and especially key technologies such as jet engines.

Source: Kratos Defense
Associated URL: https://www.kratosdefense.com/newsroom/kratos-providing-spartan-j85-engines-to-support-boeing-jdam-lr-production-contract

PHOENIX, Ariz. - Honeywell International Inc. has been awarded a $19.8 million contract by the U.S. military to spearhead the Aggressive Embedded Propulsion Operability (AEPO) program.

Under the contract, Honeywell will develop advanced computational tools and specialized design processes for fan modules tailored specifically for embedded propulsion installations. These tightly integrated engine architectures are designed to reduce the radar signatures of stealth combat aircraft while maintaining aerodynamic efficiency. The AEPO program could mitigate the severe aerodynamic penalties incurred when turbofan engines are located deep within an airframe, including non-uniform airflow and extreme inlet distortion. Conventional curved air intakes often create highly chaotic airflow patterns at the engine’s fan. That can reduce engine performance, trap excessive heat, and trigger engine stalls.

Honeywell's computational tools will focus on safely expanding the engine's operational envelope, maintaining stable stall margins, and managing complex thermal loads to preserve safety margins during high-performance flight. The software and modeling advancements derived from the AEPO program could also support development of adaptive cycle engines, which allow a pilot to adjust airflow to transition between fuel-efficient loitering and high-speed combat maneuvers.

Work on the defense contract will take place entirely in Phoenix, with engineering milestones and testing slated for completion in October, 2030.

Source: U.S. Department of Defense
Associated URL: https://www.war.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/4578063/contracts-for-aug-19-2026/