Rolls-Royce Proves Adour Mk 821 is Fit for Indian Jaguar Requirement

(June 16, 2009) -- Rolls-Royce has successfully installed and tested the Adour Mk 821 engine in a Jaguar aircraft to prove its capability and suitability for the Indian Air Force's Jaguar upgrade requirement.

The Mk 821 engine was installed into a Royal Air Force Jaguar for the ground test at Cosford, which was witnessed by a representative of the Indian Government. The installation went smoothly and required no airframe changes. During testing the Adour Mk 821 ran at full reheat and passed all performance targets set down by the Indian Air Force (IAF).


The test was conducted by Rolls-Royce Chief Test Pilot Phill O'Dell who commented: "As a former RAF Jaguar pilot myself I was impressed with the performance and functionality that the Mk 821 delivered. This had no adverse affect on the aircraft, highlighting the ease of the integration process and the compatibility of the engine with the airframe. This is no real surprise as they were literally made for each other."

Martin Fausset, Managing Director of Rolls-Royce Defence Aerospace, said: "As the only engine certified for the Jaguar we were always confident that the Adour MK 821 could be successfully installed without any aircraft modification, even with the new technologies and enhanced performance, but this exercise has allowed us to demonstrate this high level of compatibility to the Indian Air Force.

"We believe that we have proved that the Adour MK 821 meets all Indian Air Force performance requirements at the lowest risk."

The Mk 821 includes several technology inserts from other civil and military programmes and has been specifically designed for the Indian operational requirements, offering the twin benefits of greater thrust and lower life cycle costs.

The Adour engine has been developed by Rolls-Royce Turbomeca and the Mk 871 variant is currently in licensed production with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for India's new Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer. The Mk 871 shares a high degree of commonality with the new Mk 821 variant, offering potential benefits to both the Indian Air Force and HAL in support of India's objective of self-reliance.

Source : Rolls-Royce Plc (LSE: RR.L)