Swedish company promotes collaborative initiative to European Defence Agency

Volvo Aero has briefed the European Defence Agency (EDA) on the concept of a pan-European military engine research initiative which, it says, would help ensure the future for all the major engine makers in the face of shrinking defence budgets.

The concept is based on the European research and development (R&D) "Framework" structure in place for commercial engine studies and could ensure research studies are not duplicated, says Volvo Aero military programmes and marketing vice-president Hasse Nilsson. "We need to organise ourselves in Europe and this is a way to make sure we position ourselves for the future instead of overlapping each other."

Volvo recently made an initial presentation to the EDA, "which is very open for ideas right now", says Nilsson. "We're hopeful of beginning a dialogue with them, and they're planning a visit to discuss it early next year."

As with the civil research, Volvo envisages the plan involving Avio, ITP, MTU, Rolls-Royce and Snecma. It says the research idea would help maintain crucial capabilities in the face of declining new engine programmes, as well as allow engine makers to restructure around smaller budgets.

"We may have liberated ourselves more than others," says Nilsson, adding that the company concedes the RB12 developed for the Swedish air force's JAS39 Gripen is expected to be its last foreseeable all-new military engine. Its collaborative concept proposed to the EDA is "probably a different message from what they're getting from the others", he says.

Nilsson accepts that the Volvo idea may not be so welcome at some companies that jealously protect their national defence positions, but says the plan will help all players adapt to the more commercially based defence development landscape of the future.

"This way will be more cost-effective, which is what is needed," says RM12 chief engineer Magnus Bergstrom. He says the military engines sector "must be based on industrial strengths and capabilities in future to make it cost-effective."




Source: Flight International