Indian Air Force's Rafale fighter jets (Photo: Group Captain Indranil Nandi)
New Delhi: France’s Safran Group will set up a Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility at Hyderabad in Telangana for Rafale fighter jet’s M88 engine, which is being operated by the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The company said it will mark a key milestone in “our commitment to supporting M88 export customers.” The MRO facility at Hyderabad will be the first one to maintain M88 modules out of France.
Christophe Bruneau, Executive Vice President, Military Engines at Safran Aircraft Engines said: “We are delighted to select Hyderabad location as the first export maintenance facility dedicated to the M88, adding, “This project marks an important step in the development of Indian sovereignty in aerospace and defense, while demonstrating our commitment to developing a world-class MRO ecosystem for the benefit of all M88 operators.”
Pierre Fernandez, General Manager of Safran Aerospace, met Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu and announced the plans.
The new MRO facility, Safran said that it will have a capacity of over 600 modules per year and will generate up to 150 jobs by 2040.
It also said that the MRO facility will help meet the strong growth of M88 maintenance activities worldwide.
The company said that new workshop will also benefit from synergies with other Safran production facilities and MRO workshops located in the region, “in line with our commitment to develop a comprehensive commercial and military supply chain in India for aircraft engines.”
