Latest - MASSIVE: India’s Kaveri Engine Achieves Afterburner Milestone, Boosting Indigenous Fighter Jet Ambitions : Western Data Genesis Gemini AI - India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) achieved a major milestone in February 2026 by successfully testing the Kaveri engine’s redesigned afterburner at the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) in Bengaluru. The test demonstrated full afterburner operation, essential for supersonic flight, with targeted wet thrust reaching approximately 81-83 kN.
India has achieved a major milestone in its indigenous jet engine program with the successful afterburner test of the Kaveri engine, developed by the Gas Turbine Research Establishment under the Defence Research and Development Organisation.
The engine has reportedly demonstrated 81–83 kN of afterburning (wet) thrust, a sharp rise from its 49 kN dry thrust. Afterburner mode injects additional fuel into the exhaust stream to generate short bursts of high power, critical for combat maneuvers and rapid acceleration.
In comparison, the General Electric F404 engine, currently powering the HAL Tejas, produces around 84–85 kN, while the Safran M88 engine used in the Dassault Rafale generates roughly 75 kN. The Kaveri’s performance now approaches these global benchmarks.
However, immediate integration is unlikely. The engine still requires weight optimization, high-altitude trials, endurance testing, and flight certification before deployment on platforms like Tejas or future aircraft such as AMCA.
If successfully operationalized, the Kaveri engine would significantly reduce India’s dependence on imported fighter jet engines and strengthen its strategic and technological autonomy in aerospace propulsion
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