Kaveri 2.0 back after 43 years; Big project set for 2030

NEW DELHI: India's determination to employ an indigenously made engine in the fighter jets is nearing success. The Kaveri 2.0 project, conceived 43 years ago and repeatedly failed, is coming to fruition. The engine, which is about 70 per cent complete, is being prepared for afterburner tests.

If successful, the indigenous Tejas fighter jets will fly under the power of the Kaveri engine by 2030. The project was frozen in 2008 after it failed to provide the 'push' (thrust) to take off from the runway. Kaveri could not achieve 49 kilonewtons of dry thrust. Despite repeated tests, it achieved only 41 kilonewtons of dry thrust. The target of an engine weighing 1023 kg for the lightweight Tejas was not achieved. For this reason, American engines are used in the Tejas Mk1-A.

The fighter jets now use F414 engines of the American company GE Aerospace. It provides the aircraft with 49 kilonewtons of dry thrust and 84 kilonewtons of wet thrust (afterburner thrust). Recently, the company delivered only six out of 99 ordered. In this situation, the DRDO decided to resuscitate the Kaveri project. The cost of one engine is 70-80 crores.

The engine currently being developed is delivering 49-50 kilonewtons of dry thrust during the testing phase. The weight was reduced from 1300 to 1080. It may be possible to increase this to 55-54 kilonewtons of dry thrust and reduce the weight to 1000 kg.

DRDO's Gas Turbine Research Establishment is targeting 55-59 kilonewtons of dry thrust and 90-100 wet thrust. If successful, it can also be used in the Tejas Mk 2, an advanced jet that India is planning to build.