I’ve always believed the true soul of a fighter jet isn’t its radar or missiles, it’s the engine. Without raw thrust, even the best aircraft is just a flying shell, and for decades, India had the shell but not the heart.
That is changing with the AMCA MkII engine, a 110–120 kN class powerplant designed to deliver supercruise, thrust vectoring, and stealth optimisation. For the first time, India is shaping the force that will power its own fifth-generation stealth fighter into the future.
That change became real on 22 August 2025, when Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced the Safran–DRDO partnership to co-develop the AMCA MkII engine in India. This milestone marks a turning point in India’s journey from dependence to self-reliance in fighter jet propulsion.
AMCA MkII: From Imported Power to Indigenous Strength
The Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft, or AMCA, is India’s flagship stealth fighter programme developed by DRDO and ADA. While the MkI version will use imported American engines, the MkII variant will be entirely different.
It will be powered by a 125 kN class turbofan engine, designed jointly by India’s GTRE and France’s Safran Aero Engines.
For the first time, we are aiming to put a truly Indian engine into an Indian-designed fifth-generation fighter jet. That’s more than progress. It’s a proud declaration of self-reliance.
Why This AMCA MkII Engine Matters So Deeply
For decades, India’s fighters flew with Russian, American, or French engines. They gave us power, but never ownership.
The AMCA MkII engine changes that.
It isn’t a borrowed design or a licensed copy. Through the Safran–DRDO collaboration announced in August 2025, India is finally building a 110–120 kN class engine that is its own, the product of setbacks, research, and persistence.
This marks more than an aviation milestone. It represents a change in mindset: India moving from reliance on others to true control over the heart of its fighters.
The Core Features That Make This Engine Stand Out
A Stealth-Optimised Engine Built for the Future
As a true stealth aircraft, the AMCA demands an engine tailored to its low-observable design and mission profile. The upcoming Safran–DRDO powerplant is being engineered for:
- Low radar cross-section
- Reduced infrared emissions
- Minimal heat plume to avoid detection
These features will allow the AMCA to remain hidden even in contested airspace, on par with stealth platforms like the F-35 and F-22. For India, stealth is no longer just an aspiration; it has become a design priority.
FADEC-Based Fighter Engine for Total Control
The AMCA MkII engine will run on Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC), and that’s a true game-changer.
With FADEC, the pilot no longer needs to constantly manage fuel flow, thrust levels, or airflow. The system does it automatically, letting the pilot focus entirely on the mission.
For India, this means more than convenience. It means a fighter jet that is smarter, safer, and far more responsive in combat. In many ways, FADEC is like having a digital co-pilot built into the heart of the AMCA MkII.
Modular Jet Engine Design for Long-Term Flexibility
I’ve always admired systems that are built to evolve, not just perform.
This engine will be built with a modular architecture, meaning:
- Quicker maintenance turnaround
- Lower lifecycle costs
- Easier adaptability for future upgrades
A modular jet engine design ensures that the engine isn’t just good for today’s mission; it will stay relevant tomorrow and beyond.
GTRE-Safran Collaboration: Learning and Leading Together
India’s GTRE has teamed up with Safran in what I believe is one of our most strategic aerospace collaborations.
This is not just about putting parts together. It’s about building know-how, transferring critical technology, and growing our expertise.
India brings battlefield understanding, climatic diversity, and ambition. Safran brings legacy, tested capability, and precision. Together, this GTRE-Safran engine collaboration lays the groundwork not just for this engine, but for many more.
Safran–DRDO: The Engine That Changes Everything
On 22 August 2025, India turned a page in aerospace history. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh confirmed India’s partnership with Safran and DRDO to develop a 110–120 kN engine for the AMCA MkII.
For me, this isn’t just another deal; it’s India finally crafting the heart of its own stealth fighter. An engine built for:
- Supercruise beyond Mach 1.8, rivalling the F-22.
- 3D thrust vectoring, giving unmatched agility.
- Stealth optimisation, reducing radar and heat signatures.
- FADEC control, making the jet smarter in combat.
In numbers, it stands close to the F-22’s F119 (~156 kN) and Su-57’s Izdeliye 30 (~180 kN). The F-35’s F135 (~191 kN) may lead in thrust, but the AMCA MkII will fly with two engines, built in India, for India.
One Engine. Two Forces.
One of the smartest things about this project is its dual-use design. The AMCA MkII isn’t the only jet set to benefit from this engine. It will also power India’s naval fighter, the Twin Engine Deck-Based Fighter (TEDBF).
This engine is also expected to serve as the core propulsion system for the TEDBF, the twin-engine fighter India is developing for its aircraft carrier operations.
The Benefits of Common Propulsion
Using the same engine across both the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy unlocks many advantages:
- Easier logistics
- Shared spare parts
- Common training for technicians
- Streamlined manufacturing
- Faster deployment and lower costs
This unified strategy reflects a new level of maturity in Indian defence planning.
Timeline of India’s Fighter Propulsion Shift
Here’s how the rollout is expected to unfold:
| Milestone | Target Year |
|---|---|
| Core engine design | 2025 |
| Bench testing phase | 2028 |
| Ground trials | 2030 |
| Aircraft integration | 2032–2033 |
| Production readiness | 2035 |
These targets align perfectly with the AMCA MkII’s flight schedule and TEDBF’s projected timelines. It’s a rare moment where engine and airframe are developing side by side, and that’s how real progress is made.
Indian Fighter Aircraft Propulsion: This Is Just the Start
What we are creating is not merely an engine for a single fighter. It is India’s first true step into full-scale fighter jet propulsion, a shift from dependency to control, from following to leading.
Once this engine powers the AMCA MkII, India will no longer wait for approvals, spares, or sanctioned technology. We will command our skies with engines designed for us, built by us, and owned by us.
My Personal View: A Story of Second Chances
I remember the Kaveri engine, ambitious, sincere, but ultimately grounded.
Now, with the AMCA MkII, we return wiser and stronger. This project is collaborative, realistic, and built on global best practices. We aren’t running from past failures; we are building on them.
This is more than an engine program. It’s India’s redemption story, and this time, I truly believe we will get it right.
What Comes After This?
Once the engine powers the AMCA MkII and TEDBF, it opens the door to much more.
We’ll be able to:
- Build engines for stealth UCAVs
- Scale propulsion for sixth-generation aircraft
- Innovate for hypersonic and next-gen drones
- Export fighters with full Indian propulsion systems
That’s not just evolution. That’s revolution, and it starts here.
Final Words: Building Power, Building India’s Future
The AMCA MkII engine is more than a machine; it is India’s strength, vision, and determination forged into fire. When it finally roars from the runway, lifting our stealth fighter into the sky, it will mark more than a technological milestone; it will be a moment of national pride.
That belief became reality on 22 August 2025, when Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced the Safran–DRDO collaboration to co-develop a 110–120 kN class engine for the AMCA MkII. With this step, India is no longer waiting for power from abroad; it is building its own heart of steel, crafted for the skies and owned by the nation.
This engine is not just metal and fire.
It is independence. It is identity. It is India’s future.
As news from Russian testing of Cavery engine on SU 57 in su57 Cavery engine produce 120 KT. news says Russia and India working on 150KT. Then why we are running around British and France to develop 120 KT.
Right now, the Kaveri engine has only reached about 58 kN in tests, so it’s being used for the Ghatak UCAV. The Su-57’s AL-41 isn’t a true 5th-gen engine, and Russia’s AL-51 is still not in production.
Working with Safran and Rolls-Royce means we get ToT to scale Kaveri to 110–120 kN, secure supply chains, and gain geopolitical benefits. With Russia facing heavy sanctions, partnering with France and the UK gives us both technology and long-term stability.