India's long-standing ambition to develop its own fighter jet engine has taken a significant step forward. The Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), a key laboratory under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has for the first time publicly displayed a new variant of its Kaveri engine fitted with an afterburner.
This development is a critical milestone for India's self-reliance in defence manufacturing and could eventually power key aircraft like the HAL Tejas fighter and the future Ghatak combat drone.
The engine, known as the Kaveri Derivative Engine (KDE), is an evolution of the original Kaveri project, which began in the late 1980s.
In its "dry" or non-afterburning form, the engine was designed for unmanned aerial vehicles and successfully produced a thrust of 49-52 kilonewtons (kN), surpassing its initial goals.
The crucial addition of an afterburner—a component that injects fuel directly into the engine's hot exhaust for a powerful burst of speed during combat or takeoff—is expected to increase its output to a range of 73 to 80 kN.
This new thrust capability places the engine in the same performance category as the American General Electric F404-IN20 engine, which currently powers India's Tejas Mk1A jets and generates 78.7 kN of thrust.
By showcasing the engine with its intricate nozzle, hot section, and complex wiring, GTRE is signalling strong confidence in its design progress.
The afterburner module is built with advanced materials designed to handle extreme temperatures, reflecting dedicated research aimed at overcoming historical challenges that affected the original Kaveri program, such as compressor performance and thermal management.
Promise and Challenges on the Path to Self-Reliance
Despite the promising potential, the engine faces a rigorous path to prove its combat readiness. While it could theoretically replace imported engines in the Tejas fleet, its performance must be consistently demonstrated in real-world flight conditions.According to recent updates, the engine requires further flight trials to validate its capabilities fully.
The project's success also depends on overcoming hurdles related to technical complexity and industrial capacity, areas where the original Kaveri program faced delays.
To accelerate this final phase, India has been exploring international collaborations, notably with French engine-maker Safran, to co-develop a production-ready engine.
The current plan involves testing the new Kaveri engine on a Tejas prototype within the next two years, but scaling up for mass production for the Indian Air Force's large fleet of Tejas Mk1A jets remains a significant industrial challenge.
If successful, the afterburner-equipped Kaveri engine would be a landmark achievement for India’s strategic autonomy. It would significantly reduce the country's dependence on foreign nations for one of the most critical pieces of military hardware, a key goal of the Atmanirbhar Bharat policy.
A fully operational, Indian-made engine would not only power the current Tejas Mk1A but also pave the way for an even more powerful 90 kN variant in the future, boosting the domestic defence industry and potentially opening export markets for a completely indigenous fighter jet.
