Current Status
The DRDO currently hopes to have the Kaveri engine ready for use on the Tejas in the latter half of the 2010s decade and according to latest news still research on it is going on and date to complete its research has been extended to 2011-2012.
“In recent times, the engine has been able to produce thrust of 82 Kilo Newton but what the IAF and other stake-holders desire is power between 90—95 KN", senior officials told The Hindu. "On using the Kaveri for the LCA, they said the engine would be fitted on the first 40 LCAs to be supplied to the IAF when they come for upgrades to the DRDO in the latter half of the decade." Article further adds that in 2011,50-60 test flights will be carried out to mature the engine in terms of reliability, safety and airworthiness.
India's Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) aims to integrate the Kaveri powerplant with the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) Tejas fighter within the next nine months. A test aircraft operated by India's Aeronautical Development Agency will be used for the integration, says an industry source familiar with the programme. If the integration is successful, the GTRE hopes to see a Tejas fly with a Kaveri powerplant by the end of 2013.
In Lok Sabha on December 10. 2012 Defence Minister A K Antony gave an update on the progress made by the Kaveri Engine Development Project as follows:
(i) So far, 9 prototypes of Kaveri Engine and 4 prototypes of Kabani (Core) Engine have been developed. (ii) 2200 hours of test (ground and altitude conditions) has been conducted. (iii) The following two major milestones have been achieved:-
---Successful completion of Official Altitude Testing (OAT) ; and ---Demonstration of First Block of flight of Kaveri Engine in Flying Test Bed (FTB).Kaveri Engine was integrated with IL-76 Aircraft at Gromov Flight Research Institute (GFRI), Russia and flight test was successfully carried out upto 12 km maximum altitude and maximum forward speed of 0.7 Mach No. Twenty Seven flights for 57 hours duration have been completed.
DRDO demonstrated its technological capability in aero-engine technology. This has been a great achievement in the aerospace community of the country, when the first ever indigenously developed fighter aircraft engine was subjected to flight testing. Tacit knowledge acquired by the DRDO scientists during this project will also be applied for further aerospace technology. Kaveri spin-off engine can be used as propulsion system for Indian Unmanned Strike Air Vehicle (USAV).
Read more about this topic: GTRE GTX-35VS Kaveri, History
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