Government set to clear Rs 3,000 crore plan to develop engine for India's first UCAV

[fsayed]

Government set to clear Rs 3,000 crore plan to develop engine for India's first UCAV - The Economic Times

 

[fsayed]

NEW DELHI: The Narendra Modi government is set to give the green light to a Rs 3,000-crore plan to develop Ghatak, a new engine that will power India's first unmanned combat aircraft, or drones capable of delivering bombs as well as tackling aerial threats, as part of a project that envisages major participation of the private sector.

Ghatak will be a derivative of the abandoned Kaveri project that had been in the works for over two decades, officials said. The key difference in the current plan is the proposed participation of the private sector in a significant way.

"This is one project in which the private industry will be brought into the picture from the very start," said a senior official, who did not wish to be identified. "Very high-end technology is required for the UCAV (unmanned combat aerial vehicle) and several industry houses in India are capable of developing and absorbing this technology," he said.

The Indian UCAV project is tentatively called Autonomous Unmanned Research Aircraft (AURA). The target is to get the system operational within eight years once the funds are cleared by the government, officials said. The original Kaveri project was meant to power the light combat aircraft but it got shelved as the engine could not deliver sufficient thrust for the fighter aircraft. In its revived avatar, the engine will be modified and its afterburners will be removed to power the first Indian UCAV.

While a similar plan was mooted by the state-run Defence Research & Development Organisation ( DRDO) during the term of the previous United Progressive Alliance government, the body had pegged the project cost at close to Rs 800 crore at the time.

However, the then government did not clear funds for the project. The main challenge in getting AURA operational, according to experts, is its central theme of stealth. The drone is being designed to be invisible to radars with its radical 'flying wing design'.

The absence of a 'tail' to guide and manoeuvre the drone will require advanced programming and a cutting edge flight control system to keep it in the air. Besides AURA, India is currently working on at least one more futuristic combat aircraft programme — the Advanced Multi-Role Combat Aircraft, or AMCA, aimed at developing a manned fighter jet.

 

[Srinivas]

If they depend on foreign manufactured components and eco system, expect delay and flaws associated with the project.

Only way is to form JV's and acquisitions for critical components, if they have no clarity on this ... the project will be like another Kaveri engine.

 

[fsayed]

If they depend on foreign manufactured components and eco system, expect delay and flaws associated with the project.

Only way is to form JV's and acquisitions for critical components, if they have no clarity on this ... the project will be like another Kaveri engine.

I think that's y government taken in private sector in from day 1

 

[$@rJen]

wasn't Kavery engine to be used in Aura??

If they're going for a new engine.. best thing is to collaborate with US or Russians

 

[fsayed]

wasn't Kavery engine to be used in Aura??

If they're going for a new engine.. best thing is to collaborate with US or Russians

It's same engine just derivate of kaveri engine

 

[PARIKRAMA]

Good finally kaveri engine derivative is now rehashed as ghatak fit ucav aura.. It took long time but fits the local ucav engine requirement prpely.. Good going..

I hope we see aura timeline for development shortened a bit from 8 years.. Need it in 5 years max as technology evolution is too fast and I'm sure in 8 years we may see a new generation of ucav which may make aura program change its flagpoles (by IAF) and see overall delay to incorporate newer requirements. This will seriously jeopardise our requirements and deployments

 

[Maarkhoor]

kaveri engine derivative

But i believe Kaveri still under development and needs serious modification in design then how can you develop derivative from unsuccessful design,

 

[rocket booster]

The dry engine of kaveri is being mooted as ghatak.
The dry engine will ensure the stealth capabilities if AURA.

 

[My-Analogous]

Government set to clear Rs 3,000 crore plan to develop engine for India's first UCAV - The Economic Times

Day light robbery. Kaveri engine is ready for this kind of job.

 

[fsayed]

But i believe Kaveri still under development and needs serious modification in design then how can you develop derivative from unsuccessful design,

Indigenous Kaveri Engine Clears Flight Tests in Russia

Where we said kaveri engine was failure

 

[Maarkhoor]

Indigenous Kaveri Engine Clears Flight Tests in Russia

Where we said kaveri engine was failure

In Russia means DRDO or whatever developing Kaveri fails to rectify the problems /Faults ?

 

[Water Car Engineer]

In Russia means DRDO or whatever developing Kaveri fails to rectify the problems /Faults ?

It couldn't meet the thrust requirements for the LCA platform. So it was delinked from LCA program and GE engines were bought. A derivative for a smaller combat UAV won't need that much.

 

[GURU DUTT]

It couldn't meet the thrust requirements for the LCA platform. So it was delinked from LCA program and GE engines were bought. A derivative for a smaller combat UAV won't need that much.

i hope they add DSI tech to AURA project too

 

[Maarkhoor]

i hope they add DSI tech to AURA project too

May after 30 year of development they are able to adopt DSI tech