India's Kaveri Dry Engine Clears High-Altitude and Flight Trials in Russia, Paving Way for Integration with Ghatak Stealth UCAV

Key facts

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)-built Kaveri dry engine cleared high-altitude and flight trials in Russia, recording a peak dry thrust of 48.5 kilonewtons, exceeding the expected 46 kN.
• The next phase is certification of the engine and its integration with the Ghatak Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV), followed by flight trials, with induction expected in 2-3 years after flight trials with the Indian Air Force.
• The Kaveri engine, built by DRDO's Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), underwent trials at two Russian institutes — the Central Institute of Aviation Motors (CIAM) and the Gromov Flight Research Institute.
• The Kaveri dry engine, or Kaveri Derivative Engine (KDE), is a jet turbine built without an afterburner, and the Bengaluru-based Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC) will review all test data before granting airworthiness clearance.
• Ghatak is an advanced, jet-powered stealth flying-wing combat drone designed for deep-strike missions.
• Ghatak has a tailless flying-wing configuration with curved air intake paths and shaped exhausts to reduce radar cross-section, is built using 80-90% carbon-fibre prepreg composite materials, and carries missiles, bombs and precision-guided munitions internally to maintain its stealth profile.
• The Kaveri engine project began in the late 1980s to power the indigenous LCA Tejas, but after falling short of the required thrust-to-weight ratio and facing weight issues, scientists removed its afterburner to create the KDE variant that will now power Ghatak.