What is Kaveri?

The correct answer is India's indigenous aircraft engine.

Key Points

•  Kaveri is India's indigenous aircraft engine.
• It is a turbofan engine project developed by the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), which is part of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• The project was initiated in the late 1980s with the primary goal of powering India's Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas.
• The engine is a low bypass twin spool turbofan engine in the 80 kN thrust class.
• It was designed with flat-rated characteristics to minimize thrust loss due to high ambient temperatures or high forward speeds.
• A significant design feature of the Kaveri engine is its twin-lane Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) system with a manual backup.
• The development of the Kaveri engine marked India's first attempt at designing and developing a modern fighter aircraft engine.
• Over the years, several prototypes of the Kaveri engine have been developed and tested.
• These tests included ground runs and even some flight trials on an Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft testbed in Russia.
• The Kaveri engine program faced numerous technical challenges and delays over its development period.
• While it was initially intended for the LCA Tejas, it could not meet the required thrust and weight specifications for the fighter jet.
• As a result, the LCA Tejas currently uses General Electric GE-F404 engines.
• Despite the setbacks for the Tejas program, the DRDO has continued the development of the Kaveri engine for other applications.
• One significant focus has shifted towards developing a 'dry' (non-afterburning) version of the Kaveri engine to power unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) like the DRDO Ghatak stealth UCAV.
• In December 2024, the dry variant of the Kaveri engine was approved for in-flight testing on an IL-76 aircraft for performance evaluation.
• Efforts are also underway to enhance the thrust of the Kaveri engine, potentially with an afterburner, for future applications.
• Collaboration with international aerospace companies has been explored to leverage their expertise and technologies.
• The Kaveri engine project has provided valuable experience and technological learning for India's aerospace sector in the complex field of aero-engine development.
• The ongoing efforts to refine and test the Kaveri engine underscore India's commitment to achieving self-reliance in critical defense technologies.
• Derivatives of the Kaveri engine have also been explored, such as the Kaveri Marine Gas Turbine (KMGT) for naval ship propulsion.
• The Kaveri core engine, known as 'Kabini', has also been used for various research and testing purposes.
• The future of the Kaveri program involves continued testing and development for UAV applications and potential integration into other indigenous aerospace platforms.