India's Kaveri dry engine clears high-altitude flight trials in Russia
What happened
India's Defence Research and Development Organisation completed high-altitude flight trials for its Kaveri dry engine in Russia. Testing achieved a peak dry thrust of 48.5 kilonewtons (kN), surpassing the 46 kN target and clearing the engine for integration into India's planned Ghatak stealth unmanned combat aerial vehicle.
Why it matters
Exceeding the thrust benchmark provides India with a viable domestic propulsion option for stealth drones. This addresses long-standing technological bottlenecks in indigenous military aviation programs and reduces reliance on foreign engine suppliers for uncrewed platforms.
Bigger picture
Relying on Russian facilities for high-altitude testing highlights cross-border defense cooperation in aerospace certification, even as India seeks greater self-reliance in manufacturing critical military hardware.
Watch next
Monitor formal airframe integration steps of the Kaveri engine into the Ghatak stealth UCAV and subsequent flight test schedules.