Kaveri Engine:
India’s Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), part of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has announced that the Kaveri engine has been cleared for inflight testing.
- The Kaveri engine project began in the late 1980s with the goal of powering the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas.
- It has been developed by the Gas Turbine Research Establishment under the Defence Research and Development Organisation.
- The current version of the Kaveri engine produces approximately 49-51 kN of thrust.
- This thrust level is suitable for UAV applications like the Ghatak, India’s stealth UCAV program.
- The DRDO plans to integrate an afterburner to increase the thrust to 73-75 kN for more demanding scenarios.
- The Kaveri engine has undergone extensive ground testing, modifications, and enhancements over the years.
- It has been tested in high-altitude simulations in Russia and ground trials in India. These tests demonstrated promising results in reliability, thrust output, and operational stability, meeting the required performance metrics for inflight testing.
- This signifies a major step for India’s self-reliance in aero-engine technology, particularly for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) like the Ghatak stealth UCAV program.
