One of the biggest hurdles to India's efforts to achieve self-reliance in defence has been its dependence on foreign manufacturers for fighter jet engines. Recently, media reports suggested that the development of the prototype of the fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) had hit a major hurdle after US engine manufacturer GE Aerospace sharply increased the quoted price for its F414 engines.
Reports suggested that while the price of each F414 engine was initially pegged to be around ₹70-80 crore, GE has now quoted prices that are nearly three times higher.
India has also been facing delays in the supply of F404-IN20 engines for HAL's Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas fleet. The delay in the delivery of Tejas aircraft to the Indian Air Force was partly attributed to GE Aerospace's failure to supply the engines on time. The F414 engine has also been selected to power the Tejas Mk2.
A Times of India report now suggests that the delays and challenges surrounding engine supplies have prompted the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to restart the Kaveri engine programme.
The Kaveri engine, an indigenous turbofan engine programme developed by DRDO's Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), was originally intended to power fighter aircraft such as the Tejas. However, it was delinked from the fighter programme in 2008 after it failed to meet the required thrust, weight and reliability targets within the stipulated timeframe. According to reports, the Kaveri engine generated around 72 kN of thrust, while the Tejas required about 83-85 kN for its intended configuration.
Under the Kaveri 2.0 programme, DRDO aims to develop a viable indigenous turbofan engine that could eventually replace imported powerplants, thereby reducing India's dependence on foreign manufacturers for fighter jet engines.
According to the TOI report, "If successful, Kaveri 2.0 could reshape India's aerospace industry, reduce foreign dependence and strengthen future programmes including Tejas, Ghatak and next-generation combat aircraft."
