Beyond fighter jets: India is building a new family of engines for missiles and drones
India is expanding its defense capabilities by developing a family of small jet engines for cruise missiles and drones. Recent advancements include the successful testing of a 350kg class turbojet engine and a 5 kN rotating detonation engine.
Why it matters
Developing indigenous propulsion technology reduces reliance on foreign imports and enhances India's strategic strike capabilities in modern warfare.
On one hand, as India is taking steps to come up with a jet engine to power a fighter aircraft, on the other hand India is developing a family of small jet engines that can power cruise missiles as well as drones. Recently the Defence Research and Development Organisation's (DRDO) Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) has successfully announced the development of a 350kg class expendable turbo jet engine.Small powerplants such as this are used on platforms such as cruise missiles, drones and with the advent of jet powered loitering munitions. This class of jet engines have long been used on cruise missiles with the famed US Tomahawk using a 400kg or a 4 kilo-Newton (kN) class jet engine.
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