Although India has made some progress with indigenously developed ground warfare engines, the government must invest more in R&D and engine production
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India faces unprecedented woes in building engines for a series of manned and unmanned aerial vehicles, tanks, and Space Launch Vehicles (SLVs), especially cryogenic rocket engines (which India has struggled to fully master). Notwithstanding some limited success with the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) and the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk-III (LVM3), which, in the case of the latter, can only place 4-8 tonne satellite payloads in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), India faces a pervasive problem related to the Research and Development (R&D) and the production of engines across platforms.
While SLVs and aero-engines get a disproportionate share of the attention within the strategic, defence and scientific establishment, few analyse how India is overcoming its struggles in engine development for ground combat vehicles, especially tanks.
While SLVs and aero-engines get a disproportionate share of the attention within the strategic, defence and scientific establishment, few analyse how India is overcoming its struggles in engine development for ground combat vehicles, especially tanks. Although challenges remain, some progress is visible. Let us first consider the Arjun Mark-1 (Mk-1), which, until recently, faced the risk of being in a state of disrepair, unserviceable and non-deployable, because of India’s dependence on the German-built 1,400 horsepower (HP) MTU MB 838 Ka-V10 diesel engine to power the tank. The MTU is closing shop or is severely constrained, because of supply chain issues mirroring India’s supply chain obstacles to procure the American F-404 engines to power the Tejas Mk-1A. While General Electric’s delivery of F-404 engines looks bleak and an indigenous aeroengine to power the Mk-1A even bleaker, there is reason to be cautiously optimistic about the native development of tank engines. The development of two native engine prototypes is already underway. Thanks to the efforts of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), and Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML), the DATRAN 1500 HP engines, if completed, will power India’s two Main Battle Tanks (MBTs)—two variants of the Arjun MBTs—Mk-1 and the Mk-2, and the Future Ready Combat Vehicle (FRCV). Yet the DATRAN 1500 HP engines, 20 of which BEML is contracted to develop, have been and will continue to be tested on the Arjun MBTs, which are of a higher weight class than the in-service T-72s, T-90s and the FRCV. More specifically, the FRCV will involve two separate prototypes, which a forthcoming Request for Proposal (RFP) is expected to lay out responses to. That said, both FRCVs will be integrated with the same DATRAN 1500 engines to ensure standardisation, which will also contribute to simpler logistical handling.
The engine’s design features necessitate a high level of reliability in demanding environmental and military conditions.
As part of a gradual process of integration, the first test was conducted in 2023 and the engine is in all probability undergoing installation following modification to the Arjun for mobility tests. In March 2024, the BEML completed another successful test-firing of the DATRAN 1500 HP engine, which was declared as “90% Indian” by Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane. There will be a total of 20 engines tested as a part of further trials. Only following a set of successful and rigorous trials can the engines be considered to equip and power the FRCV prototypes. Although the Arjun MBTs will serve as the initial test bed before the engines gain clearance for integration into any of the MBTs under operation by the Indian Army and the FRCV, their development marks an important shift in India’s progress towards home-made engines for its indigenous armoured vehicles. The engine’s design features necessitate a high level of reliability in demanding environmental and military conditions. The DATRAN 1500 engine, once fully tested and developed, will generate a high power-to-weight ratio, providing greater acceleration, mobility, and endurance for the FRCV and all the other tanks in which it might be integrated. It also integrates other features, such as self-cleaning filters that limit maintenance, thereby increasing operational readiness. The engine will also be integrated with Common Rail Direction Injection (CRDi) systems, which involve electronically determined fuel injection, generating optimum level of power and efficiency in fuel consumption, enabling effective operations in variable conditions such as in high 5,000 meter altitudes at temperatures ranging from -45 degrees Celsius to +55 degrees Celsius. Meeting the exacting standards and benchmarks that uphold the qualitative requirements of the Indian Army (IA) will take time despite some notable progress. Several hurdles need to be overcome before the engines are fully developed and enter production. Firstly, the engine compartment of the Arjun tank will need modification if the DATRAN 1500 HP engine is to be integrated since its build differs from the more compact U-shaped German-designed MTU engine. The changes will take at least two years to complete. Secondly, the Arjun was originally designed to be fitted with the German-made MTU MB 838 Ka-501 V10 liquid turbocharged engine. Delays of about four years by MTU compelled the DRDO and its industry partners to move toward a native variant, which is now being tested in the form of the DATRAN 1500 HP engine. Still, two more years of testing and trialling of the engines will be necessary in the modified Arjun. Making matters more complex, the DATRAN 1500 engines will also be adapted for testing and integration in the Indian Army’s (IA) in service T-90s from 2027-28.
Engines for ground combat vehicles will require as much attention as aero-engines and engines for SLVs.
All these developments are positive, but at the same time, their successful delivery should be approached with caution, which the DRDO, the BEML, their industrial partners, and, importantly, the IA, are collaborating to achieve. Given the gravity of the challenge facing India’s armoured forces, securing a timely and reliable supply of engines requires massive investment in R&D towards engine technology. Engine technology mandates strong foundations in materials science education and engineering, and India significantly underperforms in this critical domain. It will prove helpful if the DRDO and the Modi government articulate a concrete vision and plan for engine development across platforms. Engines for ground combat vehicles will require as much attention as aero-engines and engines for SLVs. Indeed, if prioritised, engines for ground warfare platforms might be easier to develop and technological targets more achievable over a shorter period than engines for fighter jets and cryogenic engines for heavy SLVs.
Kartik Bommakanti is a Senior Fellow with the Strategic Studies Programme at the Observer Research Foundation.
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Kartik Bommakanti is a Senior Fellow with the Strategic Studies Programme. Kartik specialises in space military issues and his research is primarily centred on the ...
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