Now Reading: DRDO rebuilds Kaveri 2.0 core to replace Tejas engines
-
01
DRDO rebuilds Kaveri 2.0 core to replace Tejas engines
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has redesigned the Kaveri 2.0 jet engine with a new 90kN core to replace imported American GE F404 powerplants on Tejas Mk1A fighters during mid-life…
The Story in Brief
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has redesigned the Kaveri 2.0 jet engine with a new 90kN core to replace imported American GE F404 powerplants on Tejas Mk1A fighters during mid-life upgrades. The Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) is separately co-developing a heavier 120-140kN engine with France’s Safran for the fifth-generation AMCA programme.
Kaveri 2.0 targets 55-60kN of dry thrust and 90-100kN with afterburner, matching the GE F404. The redesign includes a high-pressure compressor with single-piece titanium blisks and single-crystal turbine blades for higher temperatures. A dry variant already powers DRDO’s Ghatak stealth drone. The move insulates the Indian Air Force from supply chain disruptions that have delayed engine deliveries, reports Business Today.
The Indian Opinion
The long-troubled Kaveri programme is often dismissed as a saga of underperformance. This redesign, however, is a smart strategic pivot: decoupling the medium-thrust engine from heavier stealth-fighter work and targeting the specific slot where GE engines will need replacement by the 2030s. The real test will be whether GTRE can certify the new core within that decade and at what cost. Will the government commit to a production timeline, or will foreign dependence persist?
Source: businesstoday.in
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
