Latest news with #KaveriEngine
News18
28-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
What Is Kaveri Engine And Why Is It Trending? All About The Project That Can Bolster India's Defence Tech
Last Updated: The Kaveri engine is now being repurposed to power India's indigenous long-range Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs), like the Ghatak stealth drone. Fund Kaveri Engine – has been one of the top trends on social media over the past two days, coming days after India responded to Pahalgam terror attack by targeting terror sites in Pakistan under Operation Sindoor. It also comes close on the heels of India's defence ministry having approved the 'execution model" for Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme to develop the medium weight deep penetration fighter jets to bolster its air capability. With 'Fund Kaveri Engine', Indians are taking to social media urging the government to put its money on developing defence technology in India to reduce dependency on foreign fighter jet engines. Indians on social media have started a #FundKaveriEngine campaign, with some even asking the government to take more tax but renew Kaveri engine. Here are some posts on X: Stop freebies schemes and fund Kaveri Engine and make India Self-reliance 🇮🇳 #AtmanirbharBharat #MakeinIndia #FundKaveriEngine — Sumit Jaiswal 🇮🇳 (@sumitjaiswal02) May 26, 2025 #FundKaveriEngine 🇮🇳 — Ankit Kumar Avasthi (@kaankit) May 26, 2025 #FundKaveriEngine – A Call for Self-RelianceThe Kaveri Engine project was India's dream to build an indigenous fighter jet engine ,but it's been stalled for years. Even today, we rely on countries like the U.S. and France for fighter jet engines. That's a risk to our… — Shilpa Sahu (@shilpasahu432) May 26, 2025 What is Kaveri Engine? The Kaveri engine is an indigenously developed fighter jet engine project by India's Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It is used to power Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), and reduce dependency on foreign jet engines. It is a low bypass, twin spool turbofan engine with 80 kilonewtons (kN) thrust. The Kaveri project kicked off in India in the 1980s to power India's homegrown fighter aircraft Tejas. The engine features a flat-rated design to minimise thrust loss under high-speed and high-temperature conditions, and incorporates a twin-lane Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) system with a manual override for enhanced reliability. Why Was It Delayed? The engine had to be delinked from Tejas in 2008 over technical challenges including its inability to achieve required thrust-to-weight ratio, shortcomings in high-temperature metallurgy and issues in afterburner performance and reliability. With Kaveri engine not meeting the requirements for the Tejas Mk1, the fighter aircraft had to powered by American-made GE F404 engine. Apart from the technical challenges, India also lacked testing facilities for such engines. India has to rely on Russia for testing Kaveri engine, leading to scheduling delays and limited flexibility. In its initial phase, India tried to develop Kaveri engine indigenously, without foreign help. This delayed international collaborations, like one with France's Snecma/Safran, that came in too late. The Kaveri engine project also faced delays in decision-making, lack of industry coordination, budget limitations and inefficient project management. Current Status Of Kaveri Engine According to reports, the Kaveri engine is undergoing flight tests in Russia, with approximately 25 hours of testing remaining. These trials are crucial for evaluating the engine's performance in real-world conditions. The engine is now being repurposed to power India's indigenous long-range Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs), like the Ghatak stealth drone. The renewed interest in Kaveri engine on social media comes after India used UAVs to successfully destroy terror camps in Pakistan. Godrej Aerospace has delivered the first two modules of the Kaveri Derivative Engine (KDE), with six more expected by August 2025. Additionally, Azad Engineering has also been contracted to produce advanced turbo gas generators, supporting various defence applications. Kaveri 2.0 is also in the pipeline, aiming to replace the GE F404 engines in the Tejas Mk1A during its mid-life upgrade post-2035. The GTRE has reportedly sought funds for this 90 kN thrust variant. Meanwhile, the Indian Navy has also collaborated with GTRE to adapt the Kaveri jet engine for maritime applications through the development of the Kaveri Marine Gas Turbine (KMGT) to power small warships. The engine has undergone successful trials at the Indian Navy's Marine Gas Turbine test bed facility in Visakhapatnam, showcasing its potential for naval applications. top videos View all Efforts are also underway to increase the KMGT's power output beyond 12 MW to meet the requirements of larger naval vessels. The Kaveri engine project is pivotal for 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' in defence technology. Success in this endeavor would not only reduce dependence on foreign engines but also bolster the country's capabilities in developing advanced aerospace platforms. First Published: May 28, 2025, 11:22 IST
Mint
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
What is ‘Fund Kaveri Engine'? All about DRDO project and India's push to build indigenous 5th-gen fighter jets
An online campaign—'Fund Kaveri Engine'—is generating immense attention and excitement in the aftermath of the May 7 Operation Sindoor. The topic has been trending across social media platforms as thousands of users urge the government to invest in Indigenous defence technology and reduce dependency on foreign-made fighter jet engines. Of late, 'Fund Kaveri Engine' has become a hot topic of discussion. Let's explore Kaveri Engine and how its development will benefit India's defence system. Kaveri engine refers to an indigenously developed turbo engine used in the light combat aircraft programme. It is designed and developed to propel fighter jets. Spearheaded by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)'s Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) based in Bengaluru, the project has faced significant setbacks and delays due to various challenges. The requirement of complex advanced technologies, Western sanctions, lack of skilled manpower, and major reliance on foreign setups were the key reasons for its delay. 'Concurrent certification coverage was provided by RCMA(E). Certification methodology for fighter-class engine has been evolved for raw material, components, systems, LRUs, and full engine-level qualification for the first time in India,' DRDO had said. In 2008, the project was delinked from the Tejas programme, but a derivative version is being developed, and the project has been adapted for India's fifth-generation fighter aircraft, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). It also aims to power unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) and naval vessels. Defence experts and enthusiasts have flooded the internet with calls to prioritise the Kaveri engine's development and fulfil the nation's dream to have an indigenous fighter jet engine. Stalled for years, the project, which started in the 1980s, has become a symbol of India's pursuit of self-reliance. Many users called on PM Modi to allocate funds and resources for the development of the Kaveri engine, emphasising the need of the hour and the importance of achieving self-sufficiency in military aviation technology. Given its strategic importance in defence technology, social media users asserted that the next target should be 'Made in India' gas turbine engines, rather than importing them from the US, Russia or France.
NDTV
26-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
"National Need": Why Is 'Fund Kaveri Engine' Trending On X? All You Need To Know
On Monday, hundreds of citizens, defence experts, and enthusiasts took to social media, urging the Indian government to prioritise and expedite the Kaveri engine's development, a symbol of India's pursuit of self-reliance in military aviation technology. As a result, 'Fund Kaveri Engine' became the top trend on X, reflecting the growing sentiment among the public. Many called on PM Modi to allocate more funds and resources for the Kavera engine, emphasising its importance in the nation's interest. The goal is to end India's dependence on foreign engines for building fighter jets, promoting self-reliance in defence technology. Using #FundKaveriEngine, users expressed national pride and emphasised the strategic importance of self-reliance in defence technology. Here are some tweets going viral on X: Make it 1 million !!!! #FundKaveriEngine — Hinduism_and_Science (@Hinduism_sci) May 26, 2025 #FundKaveriEngine – A Call for Self-Reliance The Kaveri Engine project was India's dream to build an indigenous fighter jet engine ,but it's been stalled for years. Even today, we rely on countries like the U.S. and France for fighter jet engines. That's a risk to our… — Shilpa Sahu (@shilpasahu432) May 26, 2025 Our next target should be our own gas turbine engines. #FundKaveriEngine — Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) May 26, 2025 Nirmala Sitharaman ji, 18% ki Jagha 20% lelo Caramel popcorn pe but Kaveri Engine ko Fund kardo. #FundKaveriEngine — Abhay (@KaunHaiAbhay) May 26, 2025 Use Kaveri Engine posters everywhere, every time you use #FundKaveriEngine collected from Twitter. Nine pictures have been uploaded in this thread; I will add more in this thread when I find new ones. — Sefril (@sefril236) May 26, 2025 We must be the only nation in history where people are running a crowd campaign to fund a gas turbine. Gratifying 😸🫡 1/2 — dharmic aeroplate v2 (@daeroplate_v2) May 26, 2025 What is the Kaveri Engine project? The Kaveri Engine is an indigenous jet engine developed by India's Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), a lab under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). According to DRDO, it's a low-bypass, twin-spool turbofan engine designed to produce around 80 kN of thrust, initially intended to power the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas. The Kaveri Engine features a flat-rated design to minimise thrust loss in high-temperature and high-speed conditions. Its twin-lane Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) system ensures precise control, with a manual backup for added reliability. This design enables the engine to maintain optimal performance in various operating conditions. The project, started in the 1980s, aimed to reduce India's reliance on foreign engines for its fighter jets but faced challenges like thrust deficiencies, weight issues, and delays due to sanctions after India's 1998 nuclear tests. Although delinked from the Tejas program in 2008, a derivative version is now being developed for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) like the Ghatak stealth UCAV, with recent progress in in-flight testing and private sector involvement, such as Godrej Aerospace delivering engine modules. Reasons For Delay The Kaveri engine project has faced significant delays and setbacks due to various challenges. These include the complexity of developing advanced technologies like aerothermal dynamics, metallurgy, and control systems from scratch. Western sanctions denied critical materials, such as single-crystal blades, while India lacked skilled manpower and high-altitude test facilities, relying on foreign setups like Russia's CIAM. Unrealistic expectations, such as powering the Tejas fighter without validation, and the collapse of international collaboration with Snecma, further complicated the project.
