New Delhi: The Kaveri engine, developed by India’s Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), has been a long-term project aimed at powering various aircraft, including the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas. However, recent developments indicate that the Kaveri engine is more likely to be integrated into unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) rather than the Tejas fighter jet.
The current dry version of the Kaveri engine produces approximately 49-51 kN of thrust, which is suitable for UAV applications like the Ghatak, India’s stealth UCAV program. This thrust level meets the requirements for UAVs but falls short of the 81-85 kN required for the Tejas Mk1A and subsequent versions.
The Kaveri engine has struggled to achieve the necessary thrust levels for manned fighter aircraft. Previous prototypes were unable to meet the 90 kN requirement for the Tejas, leading to its delinking from that program in favour of more powerful engines like the GE F404.
The integration of the Kaveri engine into the Tejas has faced significant technical hurdles, including the need for an afterburner module to enhance thrust. This module is still under development and is not expected to be ready until at least 2026.
The Kaveri engine has also been criticised for being overweight and not meeting performance metrics required for high-performance fighter jets. These issues have hindered its integration into the Tejas program despite decades of development.
In a significant development for India’s aerospace sector, the Kaveri engine has been cleared for inflight testing, marking a pivotal milestone in the country’s indigenous engine development efforts. This announcement was made by the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which has been working on this project since the late 1980s.
The Kaveri engine is currently undergoing various testing stages, including evaluations aboard a modified Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft in Russia. This phase will assess its performance under real-world flight conditions, focusing on reliability, endurance, and integration with aircraft systems.
In preliminary tests, the Kaveri engine has demonstrated a thrust output of approximately 48.5 to 51 kN, which is suitable for UAV applications like the Ghatak. However, further upgrades are planned to optimise its performance specifically for the Ghatak UAV.
Given its current thrust capabilities and ongoing development challenges, the Kaveri engine is now being positioned as a suitable powerplant for UAVs like Ghatak, which require less thrust than manned combat aircraft. The DRDO aims to complete testing and integration of the Kaveri engine with Ghatak by 2026, marking a significant step towards enhancing India’s indigenous UAV capabilities.
The focus on UAV applications allows India to leverage the Kaveri engine’s design and technology without the stringent performance requirements associated with manned fighter jets. This strategy aligns with India’s broader goals of achieving self-reliance in defence technology while effectively utilising existing resources.
GTRE is committed to refining the Kaveri engine further, with plans for limited production beginning in 2025-26 following successful testing outcomes. The Ghatak UCAV program aims to enhance India’s combat capabilities through advanced AI-driven systems for autonomous operations, making it a pivotal component of India’s future defence strategy.
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 LCA Tejas.
