The Hindu Business Line : DRDO hopes to make LCA engine operational by 2010

THE Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is looking to make the Kaveri engine for Tejas, the light combat aircraft (LCA), fully operational by 2010. Similarly, the Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AWACS) programme would be a reality in six years.

Speaking to newspersons at Aero India 2005 on Friday, Mr M. Natarajan, Scientific Advisor, said that the Kaveri project was initiated in 1989 and the DRDO had projected that it would be ready for first flight by June 1996.

The Director of Aeronautical Development Establishment, Mr Dipankar Banerji, said the initial Kaveri engine would be ready by end-2006 or early 2007 and become fully operational in 2010. The Gas Turbine Research Establishment had sought the help of the Central Institute of Aviation Medicine, Russia for high altitude tests.

Mr Natarajan said the AWACS would be an "entirely different type of radar" and that the DRDO should be in business in about six years.

The DRDO was looking at using an executive type of jet to mount the indigenously developed AWACS, but no decision had been taken on the aircraft. "We are in dialogue with Embraer (a Brazilian aviation company) and other companies," he said, scotching reports that a memorandum of understanding had been signed with Embraer to supply EMB 145 for the purpose.

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DRDO hopes to make LCA engine operational by 2010