Dry Kaveri Engine's New Fan Design to Ensure Optimal Stealth Performance in IAF's 13-ton RSPA Bomber UCAV, Confirms GTRE

The Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), a leading research organization under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has announced significant progress in the development of its Dry Kaveri Engine.

This engine, which shares 75% commonality with the original Kaveri engine, has overcome many of its predecessor's challenges and is now poised for integration into advanced defence platforms, including the Indian Air Force's (IAF) upcoming unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs).

GTRE has confirmed that the Dry Kaveri Engine has addressed all major issues that plagued the original Kaveri engine, resulting in a more reliable and efficient propulsion system. Rigorous testing has demonstrated the engine's capability to meet the demanding requirements of future defence platforms.

One of the key advancements in the Dry Kaveri is the development of a new, high distortion-capable fan. This fan is specifically designed to function with the serpentine air intake system required for the 13-ton RSPA (Remotely Piloted Strike Aircraft) program. This new design ensures optimal performance even under challenging flight conditions where airflow distortion could otherwise compromise engine efficiency.

The Dry Kaveri Engine is being specifically tailored for the 13-ton RSPA program, a next-generation UCAV being developed for the IAF. This UCAV is envisioned as a strategic bomber capable of conducting high-precision strikes on enemy targets. By integrating the Dry Kaveri Engine into the RSPA platform, GTRE and DRDO aim to provide the IAF with a reliable and indigenous propulsion system for its future UCAV fleet.

The development of the 13-ton RSPA is a key element of India's broader strategy to strengthen its air combat capabilities through autonomous and remotely piloted systems. The UCAV will not only enhance the IAF's precision strike capabilities but also provide critical operational flexibility, reducing the risk to human pilots in high-risk missions.

Furthermore, the serpentine air intake design, coupled with the new fan technology in the Dry Kaveri Engine, is crucial for maintaining the stealth characteristics of the RSPA. This design minimizes the radar cross-section of the engine intake, making the UCAV less detectable by enemy radar systems.

As the Dry Kaveri Engine undergoes further testing and integration, its eventual deployment in the 13-ton RSPA will be a significant milestone for India's defence industry. This achievement will not only enhance the operational readiness of the IAF but also serve as a testament to India's growing capabilities in defence innovation and unmanned systems development.

 

[sanket]

Hope it will have Thrust around 50 to 54 kN, Great Job done by GTRE Congrates

 

[swatkats_razor]

Finally, some progress.

 

[Rajesh]

GTRE in collaboration with Rolls Royce must generate 60 KN dry thrust in Kaveri-2.0 engines !

 

[Satish]

GTRE in collaboration with Rolls Royce must generate 60 KN dry thrust in Kaveri-2.0 engines !

You just flow the money, develop a strong management or specific committee to monitor, overlook periodically, and do a proper, unbiased audit report, and GTRE will deliver.

 

[Mahesh rathi]

Don't worry. Our IAF will modify its requirements of thrust or weight or ratios in such a way that it will send HAL or DRDO back to the drawing board for another few years...and once they deliver, the IAF will take another decade to give them "operational clearance." They did it with the Tejas. And money can be made only from foreign suppliers...that's the bitter truth. Let's face it.

 

[Akshat]

Finally, some progress.

We have been seeing such 'progress' since 2002. But it never works. Nothing where GTRE and most of the things where DRDO is involved won't work. And will be massively delayed.

 

[Akshat]

You just flow the money, develop a strong management or specific committee to monitor, overlook periodically, and do a proper, unbiased audit report, and GTRE will deliver.

Well money has been flowing for decades. And my question is, lets say we audit them. And the report finds out that GTRE officials are not working properly. Then what? You can't fire them, you can't hold back their promotions, you can't stop or cut their salaries. So what will you even do with such audits?

 

[Akshat]

Don't worry. Our IAF will modify its requirements of thrust or weight or ratios in such a way that it will send HAL or DRDO back to the drawing board for another few years...and once they deliver, the IAF will take another decade to give them "operational clearance." They did it with the Tejas. And money can be made only from foreign suppliers...that's the bitter truth. Let's face it.

Lol...operational clearance to Tejas came from DRDO, not IAF. DRDO itself had given in writing to MoD and IAF that Tejas must not be used for any combat operations under any circumstances whatsoever, till 2018. Not my words, these are the official documents from DRDO.

 

[Preet]

We have been seeing such 'progress' since 2002. But it never works. Nothing where GTRE and most of the things where DRDO is involved won't work. And will be massively delayed.

U are someone who doesnt know failures are part n parcel of R&D.. what a noob.. DRDO has tonnes of successful projects, few failures and keyboard warriors like u start judging the researchers..

 

[Sandeep]

The indigenous dry Kaveri engine is a very important and critical technology that we need to design, develop and manufacture it 100% indigenously. Creating a stealth engine is another key technology and capability that we need to develop for the stealth UCAV Ghatak.

If we want to develop an engine to replace the F404 and F414 engines that we will use on the Tejas MK1A and MK2 models then we will have to design, develop and manufacture a completely brand new engine and core.

 

[Akshat]

U are someone who doesnt know failures are part n parcel of R&D.. what a noob.. DRDO has tonnes of successful projects, few failures and keyboard warriors like u start judging the researchers..

Oh I know very well that failures are part and parcel of R&D. But lies and cheating are not.

As for failure and success, we have hard evidence from various reports that DRDO has seen way more failures than success. There are numbers from GoI reports themselves. But keyboard DRDO apologists like you will overlook all their lies and cheatings and defend them at all costs.

 

[Satish]

Well money has been flowing for decades. And my question is, lets say we audit them. And the report finds out that GTRE officials are not working properly. Then what? You can't fire them, you can't hold back their promotions, you can't stop or cut their salaries. So what will you even do with such audits?

GTRE officials, I mean scientists. Do you believe whoever is involved in R&D is not giving their full potential? Well, if management is laggy, that's why I said good management. Scientists and research officials will only use the knowledge that they gain from years of experiment and learning. If we never spend lakhs of crores in research (from which you have to admit things will fail more than gain), then how can you expect those scientists to achieve something? They are not gods.

Can we simply build any complex design? How many of these brains in online forums can actually analyze and give the solution to the problem? Not troll, not mock, give the complex engineering problem-solving? How many of these defence experts and online writers can actually contribute?

The youth of this country are just sad and brain-rotted. Why do private companies grow in such sectors? Because of investors. The moment you fail to be productive, they will pull out the money. You have to be accountable and responsible in that scenario. That fear is not there in PSUs.

 

[Akshat]

GTRE officials, I mean scientists. Do you believe whoever is involved in R&D is not giving their full potential? Well, if management is laggy, that's why I said good management. Scientists and research officials will only use the knowledge that they gain from years of experiment and learning. If we never spend lakhs of crores in research (from which you have to admit things will fail more than gain), then how can you expect those scientists to achieve something? They are not gods.

Can we simply build any complex design? How many of these brains in online forums can actually analyze and give the solution to the problem? Not troll, not mock, give the complex engineering problem-solving? How many of these defence experts and online writers can actually contribute?

The youth of this country are just sad and brain-rotted. Why do private companies grow in such sectors? Because of investors. The moment you fail to be productive, they will pull out the money. You have to be accountable and responsible in that scenario. That fear is not there in PSUs.

Well either they are not using their full potential or they simply don't have the potential.

I have been personally involved with many R&D projects buddy. And now have a management consulting firm for product based companies and start ups. So yeah, I think I can say on good authority that it is DRDO which is at fault. I mean, failures in R&D are one thing. But we have direct reports from CAG which openly tell us that DRDO scientists are submitting fake project reports to MoD, declaring failed projects as successful, even after massive delays and going overbudget, and then they start new projects to meet the requirements of the original projects, asking for fresh timelines and funds. So forget engineering problems, as a manager who has worked on R&D projects in the past (before I became a manager), I can authoritatively say that anyone who is filing fake reports is never ever giving his 100% and can never achieve anything.

And I agree. The DPSUs (and DRDO) simply don't have the incentive to work hard. That's why we need to shut them down and let the funds flow to more productive entities.

 

[Preet]

Oh I know very well that failures are part and parcel of R&D. But lies and cheating are not.

As for failure and success, we have hard evidence from various reports that DRDO has seen way more failures than success. There are numbers from GoI reports themselves. But keyboard DRDO apologists like you will overlook all their lies and cheatings and defend them at all costs.

You are providing facts which suffice your agenda. I can give you many successful products as well. And no, I am not a socialist. The R&D and development must be in a competitive space, and the private sector must be incentivized to do more.

HAL, for example, has failed on many aspects, BEL has not. HAL needs a revamp like OFB. But when it comes to DRDO, it's only for R&D and low on budgets, and so far, they have done an amazing job putting us in the elite list in many fields. There have been a few failures, but who hasn't failed? Isn't Stryker a failure of Lockheed Martin? Should the USA close LM? 🤣 Stop being so myopic.

We need a PPP model for R&D. We have very fine brains in our government and PSU sectors, but bureaucracy is killing it. We need MBAs in government and PSUs too for better managerial aspects and better PR strategists. We need to improve on them; they are not to be blamed and sidelined.

 

[AK S]

Well money has been flowing for decades. And my question is, lets say we audit them. And the report finds out that GTRE officials are not working properly. Then what? You can't fire them, you can't hold back their promotions, you can't stop or cut their salaries. So what will you even do with such audits?

Project was closed way back in 2007-08. So yeah money has been flowing.

Safran completed audit in 2017 and certified for limited flight envelope. Still nothing happened. Now that we are feeling the heat of F404 non-delivery, IAF and MoD is trying to expedite at least the dry Kaveri (KDE) for Ghatak project. But no serious money is on the table - not even high altitude test lab. Forget the flying test bed.

Having said that, this time IAF and MoD is serious about KDE. It will happen.

 

[P.K Senapati]

Dry Kaveri generates around 50kN thrust, and it is sufficient for a 13-ton UCAV. As told, this new version of Kaveri has a new fan to address flow distortion at the inlet to the engine that may come due to the stealth serpentine inlet of the UCAV. It is now in flight test in Russia in an Il-76 test bed. Hope it will be cleared for UCAV integration.