SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
In a significant milestone for India’s aerospace and defense sector, Coimbatore-based Jayem Automotive has successfully developed an indigenous 180hp diesel engine specifically designed for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The engine, showcased at Aero India 2025 held at Air Force Station Yelahanka, Bengaluru, has completed all required ground trials, marking a major step forward in India’s quest for self-reliance in critical defense technologies.
According to company officials speaking to idrw.org, the engine is now being integrated into the upgraded Tapas (Tactical Airborne Platform for Aerial Surveillance) UAV, with taxi trials and in-flight trials scheduled to follow soon.
The development of a high-performance, indigenous diesel engine for UAVs addresses a long-standing gap in India’s aerospace capabilities, where reliance on imported engines has been a significant challenge.
Designed to power medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) UAVs, the 180hp diesel engine offers several advantages over traditional gasoline or imported engines, including that Diesel engines are inherently more fuel-efficient than gasoline engines, enabling longer endurance and extended mission durations, a critical requirement for surveillance and reconnaissance UAVs.
180hp diesel engine is also optimized to operate effectively at high altitudes, where oxygen levels are low, making it ideal for missions in regions like the Himalayas and other high-altitude terrains along India’s borders.
NOTE: Article cannot be reproduced without written permission of idrw.org in any form even for YouTube Videos to avoid Copy right strikes. Websites doing illegal reproductions will get DMCA and Legal Notices.