SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
India’s quest for self-reliance in aerospace propulsion is gaining altitude, with the Indian Air Force (IAF) poised to support a revived Kaveri engine program aimed at powering the Tejas Mk1A. This indigenous effort, led by the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), seeks to replace the General Electric (GE) F404 engines currently propelling the light combat aircraft.
Speaking to idrw.org, a senior IAF official underscored the strategic logic: with plans to operate a fleet of nearly 220 Tejas Mk1A jets over a 40-year lifespan, the force will need over 700 engines—assuming replacements every 10 years—making a homegrown powerplant both a practical and patriotic choice. Yet, the road to a production-ready Kaveri remains long, with GTRE’s two-step plan hinging on proving a derivative engine before unleashing a more potent Kaveri 2.0.
The Tejas Mk1A, an evolution of India’s first indigenous fighter, relies on the GE F404-IN20, delivering 54 kN dry thrust and 84 kN with afterburner (wet thrust). With 83 jets contracted in 2021 and 97 more approved in 2024, the IAF’s commitment to 220 Mk1As is firm—an anchor for its light fighter squadrons as the MiG-21s retire. Each jet needs three engines over its life—one at induction, one mid-life replacement—plus spares, pushing the total past 700. At $8-10 million per F404 (2023 prices), that’s a $5-7 billion bill over four decades, not counting maintenance and geopolitical risks tied to U.S. supply chains, as seen with sanctions in the 1990s.
The Kaveri, conceived in 1986 to power the Tejas, stumbled after decades of delays and underperformance. Its 2017 iteration hit 49 kN dry and 73 kN wet—close but shy of the F404’s benchmark—lacking the reliability and thrust for combat ops. GTRE shelved it for the Mk1A in favour of GE’s proven engine, but the dream of an Indian powerplant never died. Now, with the Mk1A fleet scaling and the F404’s lifecycle costs looming, the IAF sees a window to resurrect Kaveri—not just for pride, but for practicality.
GTRE’s immediate plan centres on the Kaveri Engine Derivative (KDE) with an afterburner module, targeting a wet thrust of 73-74 kN—matching the French M88-2 (75 kN) that powers the Rafale. Slated for demonstration by late 2025, KDE builds on Kaveri’s core, refined after Safran’s 2014-2018 consultancy under a €150 million deal. That collaboration fixed compressor inefficiencies and afterburner instability, yielding nine prototypes tested over 3,200 hours. The KDE aims to prove this matured tech, offering a baseline for further leaps.
But here’s the catch: at 73-74 kN, the KDE falls short of the F404’s 84 kN, underpowering the Mk1A for its 6.5-tonne combat load and 1,350 km range. The IAF official noted this gap, signalling that while the KDE’s M88-like thrust is a milestone, it’s not yet a replacement. GTRE acknowledges this, positioning the KDE as a proof-of-concept—a stepping stone to validate design and manufacturing before tackling a heftier successor.
Enter Kaveri 2.0, GTRE’s ambitious endgame. Proposed with a wet thrust of 90 kN—surpassing the F404 and rivalling the F414 (98 kN) slated for the Tejas MkII—this engine promises to meet the Mk1A’s current needs and future upgrades, like heavier weapons or enhanced avionics. Leveraging flat-rated thrust (sustained power at high temperatures), single-crystal blade tech from the AMCA’s engine program, and Safran’s lingering know-how, Kaveri 2.0 aims to hit 55-57 kN dry and 90 kN wet, per GTRE’s 2024 roadmap shared with idrw.org.
The timeline aligns serendipitously. Developing Kaveri 2.0, from KDE validation to production, will take 6-7 years—landing around 2031-32. The first Mk1A deliveries began in 2024, with HAL targeting 16 jets annually by 2028. Assuming a 10-year engine replacement cycle, the fleet’s mid-life refits start in 2034—perfect timing for Kaveri 2.0 to debut. “This could be the best window to transition the fleet to a locally developed engine,” the IAF official told idrw.org, hinting at a ?10,000 crore ($1.2 billion) investment to see it through.
The path isn’t smooth. KDE’s 2025 demo must nail reliability—past Kaveri tests flagged afterburner flameouts—and scale to 90 kN without ballooning the 1,235 kg weight (already heavier than the F404’s 1,035 kg). Funding, historically stingy at ?2,839 crore over 30 years, needs a boost; GTRE’s piggybacking on AMCA’s $2 billion engine fund could help. HAL’s stretched production—juggling Mk1A, MkII, and Su-30 upgrades—adds pressure to integrate a new engine seamlessly.
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