As the
Indian Navy prepares to celebrate the ‘Navy Day’ on December 4, Mr Gillard reiterates
the great association enjoyed by the two over the decades that continues to grow,
forever touching newer horizons. OUR PROUD ASSOCIATION
WITH INDIAN NAVY Rolls-Royce has worked alongside the Indian Navy since
the induction of its first aircraft in 1953. Today, we are proud to support the
Indian Navy’s fleets of Sea Harriers and Sea Kings and welcome the latest chapter
in our partnership with the entry into service of the Adour- powered Hawk Advanced
Jet Trainer. A great example of our association with the Indian Navy could
be traced back during the time of 300 INAS, where the work has been done alongside
the squadron for over 54 years, and is still being continued. With the induction
of the Sea Harrier age in the early 1980s, Rolls-Royce helped to train the initial
cadre of Indian Navy personnel, both alongside the Royal Navy and at our Bristol
factory before moving with the squadron to India. In the 1990s, Rolls-Royce supported
the establishment of the Indian Navy’s overhaul facility in Kochi, which is part
of our long-term commitment to Indian self-reliance. In the short term,
our priority is to support today’s fleets – in particular the Sea Harrier as it
plays a vital role in India’s maritime security. In the medium term we will continue
to support the operation of the Sea King, a critical military asset, which has
years of operation remaining. We will also help the Indian Navy maximise its use
of the Rolls-Royce powered Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer, which is an expanding fleet,
crucial to the Navy’s combat aircraft capability. Powered by the Adour 871, the
Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer, has over 1.5 million hours of service with operators
around the world. The Hawk-Adour combination is the global leader in advanced
jet training for air forces globally including, the United States Navy, Royal
Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force and Royal Malaysian Air Force. OPPORTUNITIES
IN THE LONG TERM INCLUDING MARINE APPLICATIONS Looking to the longer term,
there are a number of Rolls-Royce powered aircraft that we believe could be of
interest to the Indian Navy. The most obvious of these is the US-2I amphibious
aircraft which shares largely common engines with the Indian Air Force’s C-130J
fleet. We are also planning to offer MT30s for the future programmes of the Indian
Navy. Roll-Royce’s MT30 Marine Gas Turbine is considered to be a 21st century
product which is used for powering the US Navy’s mono-hull Littoral Combat Ship
USS Freedom and other ships of this class. The MT30 is a member of the Rolls-Royce
Trent aero engine family that has accumulated over 30 million operating hours
since entry into service in 1996. The MT30 brings today’s aero gas turbine technology
to the marine market and gives operators of gas turbine-powered vessels efficiency
and reliability improvements, with a highly competitive power-to-weight ratio
and reduced operating and through-life costs. Our marine business offers
an extensive product base and proven experience in both ship design and system
integration which enables us to bring the right products together when developing
power, propulsion and motion control solutions that are fully matched to a vessel’s
operating profile. Our approach enables us to deliver a complete service, from
initial concept studies, through equipment selection, systems integration and
through life support. The products being offered to Indian Navy include Engines,
Ship Design, Gas Turbines, Propulsors, Electrical Power Systems, Underway Replenishment,
Propellers and Water Jets, Cranes and Handling Systems, etc. OUR
COMMITMENT TO INDIA India is one of the most important s t rategic markets
for Rolls- Royce and we continue to build on our distinguished legacy and long-standing
partnership. We have gradually moved beyond sales and licensed production to engineering
services and component manufacturing and play a strategically important role in
the Group’s global operations. Throughout our 80 year journey, Rolls-Royce has
invested time and resources to increase the capability of Indian industry. Rolls-Royce
is working towards the indigenisation of the Indian defence industry by exploring
strong partnerships with companies who share our goals. We are already leveraging
the vast engineering talent pool and playing a leading role in the Government’s
Make in India initiative. In terms of design, development and supply chain capability,
we have announced the recruitment of 500 Rolls- Royce personnel in Bangalore by
2017. These people will undertake aerospace engineering for customers in the region
as well as support for Rolls-Royce’s regional supplier base. In addition, around
1,000 engineers, through our partnership with QuEST & TCS, work at Rolls-Royce
managed engineering centres in Bangalore. In terms of manufacturing, International
Aerospace Manufacturing Pvt Ltd (IAMPL) is now at full production employing over
130 people for a wide range of engine programmes including the Trent XWB. Today,
we are well positioned to cater to the future growth opportunities available in
India and South Asia region. We will continue to offer India a unique combination
of experience and innovation that can help to improve the capability of our customers. | 
