Only DRDO’s Combat UAV May Be Powered by a Kaveri Engine

India’s Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) has been working on the Kaveri engine for a long time with the goal of powering a variety of aircraft, notably the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) TEJAS. However, new information suggests that rather than the TEJAS fighter jet, the Kaveri engine is more likely to be incorporated into unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This is the reason:

The Kaveri engine’s current dry version generates between 49 and 51 kN of thrust, making it appropriate for use in UAVs such as India’s stealth UCAV program, Ghatak. Although this thrust level satisfies UAV requirements, it is less than the 81–85 kN needed for the TEJAS Mk1A and later models.

For manned fighter aircraft, the Kaveri engine has had trouble reaching the required thrust levels. The TEJAS was delinked from that program in favour of more potent engines like the GE F404 since earlier prototypes couldn’t reach the 90 kN criteria.

There have been some technical challenges in integrating the Kaveri engine into the TEJAS, such as the requirement for an afterburner module to increase thrust. It is anticipated that this module won’t be ready until at least 2026 because it is still in development.

Additionally, the Kaveri engine has drawn criticism for being overweight and failing to fulfil the performance standards needed for fighter jets with high performance. Despite decades of development, these problems have prevented it from being integrated into the TEJAS program.

The approval of the Kaveri engine for inflight testing represents a major advancement for India’s aerospace industry and a critical turning point in the nation’s domestic engine development initiatives. The Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), a division of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which has been engaged in this project since the late 1980s, made this news.

In Russia, the Kaveri engine is presently going through several testing phases, including assessments on a modified Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft. Its performance under actual flight conditions will be evaluated in this phase, with an emphasis on endurance, dependability, and integration with aircraft systems.

The Kaveri engine has shown a thrust output of roughly 48.5 to 51 kN in preliminary testing, making it appropriate for UAV applications such as the Ghatak. To maximise its performance especially for the Ghatak UAV, more improvements are planned.

The Kaveri engine is currently being positioned as a possible powerplant for UAVs like Ghatak, which require less thrust than manned combat aircraft, due to its current thrust capabilities and ongoing development problems. In order to improve India’s domestic UAV capabilities, the DRDO plans to finish testing and integrating the Kaveri engine with Ghatak by 2026.

India may benefit from the design and technology of the Kaveri engine without having to meet the demanding performance standards of manned fighter jets thanks to the emphasis on UAV applications. This plan is in line with India’s overarching objectives of becoming self-sufficient in defence technology while making efficient use of its current assets.

GTRE is dedicated to further improving the Kaveri engine, and after good testing results, limited production is scheduled to start in 2025–2026. A key element of India’s future military strategy, the Ghatak UCAV program seeks to improve India’s combat capabilities by implementing cutting-edge AI-driven technologies for autonomous operations.

While there are ongoing efforts to integrate the Kaveri engine into various aircraft programs, its current specifications and developmental challenges make it a more viable option for UAVs rather than advanced fighter jets like

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