India's HAL advances indigenous FADEC and turbofan engine development

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has begun development of a home‑grown Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) system for its upcoming HTSE‑1200 turboshaft engine. The FADEC will serve as the digital brain for the 1,200 kW engine that powers helicopters such as the Light Utility Helicopter, Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv and Light Combat Helicopter Prachand. Five prototype engines are being fabricated with delivery slated to start in mid‑2025 and certification targeted for 2026, aiming to eliminate the last major foreign dependency in India's helicopter propulsion.

In a separate milestone, HAL reported that the core of its indigenous HTFE‑25 turbofan engine reached 99.5 % of its design speed during testing. The 25 kN thrust, low‑bypass engine is intended for trainer aircraft, light business jets, UAVs and future unmanned combat platforms such as the Combat Air Teaming System. The program, started in 2013, incorporates 3D‑printed titanium‑aluminium‑vanadium components and seeks to reduce reliance on imported engine technology for the Indian defence forces.