Rolls-Royce and the Indian Air Force

An association built on the shared vision

Since its foundation in 1932, the Indian Air Force’s is a remarkable history of achievements, currently the fourth largest in the world in terms of assets and personnel. ‘Guardians of the Indian Skies’ have a rich history of accomplishments over the last eight decades – and Rolls-Royce with an equally rich legacy – is proud to be associated with the IAF since its inception. Our relationship with the Indian Air Force goes back to the time when our Bristol Jupiter engines powered their first Westland Wapitis. Since then, we have further strengthened this relationship and today, more than 750 Rolls-Royce engines of 10 engine types are powering different aircraft of the Indian military. Rolls-Royce engines equip a wide range of aircraft in inventory of the Indian Air Force from combat and strike aircraft (the Jaguar, powered by the Adour Mk811) to trainers (Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer, powered by Adour Mk871) to strategic airlift aircraft (C-130J Hercules, powered by AE2100) and even VVIP and surveillance aircraft (ERJ145, powered by AE3007).

Looking at the future, we remain committed to developing the Indian aerospace industry and supporting Indian self-reliance. An excellent example of this is the Adour Mk804/Mk811 (which powers the Jaguar) which was made and continues to be supported by HAL in India, with our support. Along with being active contributors to India’s ever-growing defence capabilities, we have been fostering holistic partnerships with key corporate players like Bharat Forge, Godrej & Boyce, Force Motors, Tata Group, as well as various MSMEs and startups, to give a fillip to the nation’s supply chain ecosystem. We are also focused on boosting STEM education and leveraging India’s engineering talent-pool through our partnership with QUEST and TCS.

Last but not least, we applaud the valour and indomitable spirit of the Indian Armed Forces. Through innovation and a shared vision to co-create and co-manufacture in India, we have and will continue to push boundaries for building a future-ready and truly ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.