Having anticipated that the next-generation fighter jet, developed under the “Future Combat Air System” (FCAS) program in cooperation with Germany and Spain, would require a significantly more powerful engine than the Rafale, the French Directorate General of Armaments tasked Safran in 2015 with conducting the Turenne study. The goal was to develop an “innovative high-pressure turbine concept” using advanced materials. Additionally, it aimed to preserve and further enhance the expertise of the industrial team.
A 115 million euro upstream research contract, Turenne 2, was awarded in 2019 to develop new high-pressure turbines that are significantly more heat-resistant. The objective is to increase the M-88’s temperature tolerance by one fifty degrees centigrade by 2025.
Will this work be used for the Rafale F5?
The M88, the engine that has been at the heart of the Rafale since its entry into service, has proven efficient on previous versions of the fighter, such as the F1, F2, and F3. However, the new operational requirements of the Rafale F5, which include increased payload and higher electrical power demands, have exceeded the current capabilities of this engine. Despite the significant improvements it has received over the years, such as reduced fuel consumption and optimized maintenance, the M88’s power has not evolved at the same pace as the aircraft’s demands.
This gap became evident when the vice chairman of the French National Assembly’s Defense Committee, Frank Giletti, pointed out that the Rafale’s payload has increased by more than 2 tons, while the M88 engine has maintained the same power since its inception. This mismatch has become a challenge to ensure that the Rafale remains competitive against new-generation fighters.
The Rafale F5 is expected to feature an “impressive” array of new capabilities, making it “very different” from its predecessors. Given its enhanced computing power to process hundreds of thousands of pieces of data and its likely increase in weight, equipping it with a new engine is a relevant concern.
There is no funding for new engines to replace the current M88 models in the current year French Budget. There is a delay in the FCAS project. Logically, this could lead to Safran losing critical fighter engine-making expertise.
The vice chairman of the French National Assembly’s Defense Committee, Frank Giletti, has announced on his social networks that, as part of the Rafale fighter’s F5 Standard, Safran Aircraft Engines has set out to develop a more powerful version of the M88 engine, which has powered Dassault Aviation’s multirole fighter since its entry into service. So which engine program he is talking about since he has not mentioned it?
In the early 2010s, during initial discussions about selling Rafale jets to the United Arab Emirates, there was talk of increasing the M88 engine’s thrust from 75 kilonewtons to 81 kilonewtons to meet the Emirati requirements. The M-88-X, later the M-88-9 project was initiated for this purpose.
In 2016, Philippe Petitcolin, then CEO of Safran, noted that it was time to “consider whether it would be worthwhile to launch a study to slightly enhance” the M-88. He added, “Technically, we can do it.”
Around the same time, there was talk of developing a new M-88 variant with a thrust range of 80 to 90 kilonewtons. However, this would likely have required redesigning the Rafale’s air intakes.
As per Safran Electronics and Defense president Franck Saudo, discussions are currently underway with the Directorate General of Armaments to develop a new version of the M88 engine within the framework of the Rafale F5 program. The new version should allow a 20% increase in engine thrust, Saudo believes that the T-REX program is crucial to ensure that the Rafale remains competitive, both domestically and internationally. In addition, this program will have a significant impact on the development of the new-generation power plant that will equip the future Sixth Generation FCAS.
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