State-owned Hindustan aeronautics (HAL) and Safran Aircraft Engines of France have formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at advancing industrial collaboration in the field of ring forging manufacturing for commercial engines.
According to an official statement issued on Friday, within the framework of this agreement, HAL is set to manufacture engine forgings for LEAP (Leading Edge Aviation Propulsion, the powerplant for Airbus A320 Neo family and Boeing 737 Max) at its Foundry & Forge facility in Bengaluru.
The signing ceremony took place in Bengaluru, where Mihir Kanti Mishra, CEO (Bangalore Complex) of HAL, and Dominique Dupuy, Senior Vice President (Purchasing) at Safran Aircraft Engines, inked the MoU, witnessed by key representatives from both organizations yesterday.
“Safran has been a long-standing partner, notably in our helicopter programs, exemplified by the collaborative development of the ‘Shakti’ helicopter engine. Additionally, we are in the process of co-designing and co-producing the next-generation IMRH engine with Safran. We take pride in elevating this partnership to new heights and expanding our expertise in vital technologies,” remarked CB Ananthakrishnan, Chairman & Managing Director (Additional Charge) of HAL.
Jean-Paul Alary, CEO of Safran Aircraft Engines, expressed his enthusiasm for the deepening collaboration: “We are thrilled to enhance our cooperation with HAL, an entity already integrated into the LEAP Supply Chain through our joint venture in Bengaluru dedicated to the production of aero-engine pipes.”
In addition to the MoU, an Industrial Cooperation Contract was signed by Anil Kumar VN, General Manager (F&F) at HAL, and Jean Michel, Strategy Director and India Development for Safran Military Division.