UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Successful development of first indigenous Expendable Turbo Jet Engine of 350 kg thrust class

Q1. The 350 kg thrust-class Expendable Turbo Jet Engine delivered in July 2026 was designed by which one of the following DRDO establishments?

  • A. Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Bengaluru
  • B. Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE), Avadi
  • C. Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), Bengaluru
  • D. Defence Materials and Stores Research and Development Establishment (DMSRDE), Kanpur

Q2. Consider the following statements about the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE): 1. Its origins lie in the Gas Turbine Research Centre set up in 1959 under the leadership of Wing Commander S.N. Roy Chaudhury. 2. Its first engine effort was a centrifugal-type gas turbine of the 1000 kg thrust class. 3. It is headquartered at Hyderabad, co-located with its industry partner Azad Engineering. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Its origins lie in the Gas Turbine Research Centre set up in 1959 under the leadership of Wing Commander S.N. Roy Chaudhury.
  2. Its first engine effort was a centrifugal-type gas turbine of the 1000 kg thrust class.
  3. It is headquartered at Hyderabad, co-located with its industry partner Azad Engineering.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q3. In the specification 'Expendable Turbo Jet Engine of the 350 kg thrust class', the figure of 350 kg denotes which one of the following?

  • A. The dry weight of the assembled engine
  • B. The maximum static thrust the engine can produce, of the order of 350 kgf
  • C. The payload that the platform carrying the engine can lift
  • D. The onboard fuel load carried for a single mission

Q4. Consider the following statements comparing the newly delivered Expendable Turbo Jet Engine with GTRE's Kaveri engine: 1. The Expendable Turbo Jet Engine is of the 350 kg thrust class, whereas the Kaveri is of the 80 kN thrust class. 2. Unlike the Kaveri, the Expendable Turbo Jet Engine was designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency. 3. The Expendable Turbo Jet Engine was manufactured and assembled by Azad Engineering, Hyderabad, and delivered to GTRE. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Expendable Turbo Jet Engine is of the 350 kg thrust class, whereas the Kaveri is of the 80 kN thrust class.
  2. Unlike the Kaveri, the Expendable Turbo Jet Engine was designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency.
  3. The Expendable Turbo Jet Engine was manufactured and assembled by Azad Engineering, Hyderabad, and delivered to GTRE.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q5. In GTRE's family of engine programmes, 'Manik' refers to which one of the following?

  • A. A marine gas turbine derived from the Kaveri core for naval warships
  • B. An afterburning turbofan developed to power the LCA Tejas fighter
  • C. A single-shaft piston engine developed for pilotless target aircraft
  • D. A 4.5 kN-class small turbofan for cruise missiles and UAVs

Q6. GTRE, which runs the Kaveri and Manik engine programmes, is one of the laboratories grouped under which technology cluster of DRDO?

  • A. Missiles and Strategic Systems cluster
  • B. Aeronautical Systems cluster
  • C. Naval Systems and Materials cluster
  • D. Armament and Combat Engineering Systems cluster

Q7. An 'expendable' turbojet engine, as distinguished from a reusable aircraft engine, is fundamentally designed to operate for how many missions?

  • A. A single, one-way mission
  • B. Up to about ten missions before overhaul
  • C. About one hundred missions between servicing
  • D. An unlimited number of missions subject to periodic overhaul

Q8. Expendable turbojet engines of this class are typically used to power which one of the following categories of platforms?

  • A. Manned multi-role fighter aircraft in frontline service
  • B. Wide-body civil passenger airliners on long-haul routes
  • C. Target drones, decoys, cruise missiles and loitering munitions
  • D. Rotary-wing helicopters used for troop transport

Q9. Under which policy framework, and under which ministry's laboratory, was the Expendable Turbo Jet Engine developed through the GTRE–Azad Engineering partnership?

  • A. Make in India framework; a GTRE lab under the Ministry of Heavy Industries
  • B. Atmanirbhar Bharat framework; GTRE, a DRDO lab under the Ministry of Defence
  • C. Atmanirbhar Bharat framework; an ISRO centre under the Department of Space
  • D. Production Linked Incentive scheme; a GTRE lab under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry