India's Kaveri engine passes Russian trials, cleared for stealth UCAV Ghatak integration
The DRDO-built Kaveri dry engine has successfully completed high-altitude and flight tests in Russia, clearing the way for its use in the stealth UCAV Ghatak.
India's indigenous Kaveri dry engine, developed by DRDO's Gas Turbine Research Establishment, has cleared demanding high-altitude and flight trials at two Russian test centres, delivering a maximum dry thrust of 48.5 kN, surpassing the 46 kN benchmark. The engine, now designated as the Kaveri Derivative Engine, will undergo airworthiness certification by the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification before being fitted into the stealth flying-wing UCAV Ghatak.
Ghatak, built largely from carbon-fibre composites, is designed for deep-strike missions and will carry weapons internally to maintain a low radar profile. The Indian Air Force will cooperate on subsequent flight trials, and successful completion could see the platform entering service in the next two to three years. The engine’s development, originally intended for the LCA Tejas, was redirected after it failed to meet thrust-to-weight requirements, leading to the afterburner-less KDE variant now slated for the drone.
Why it matters
It marks a key step toward India's self-reliant stealth drone capability and reduces reliance on foreign engines.
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