Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has received the third General Electric F404-IN20 engine from the United States for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) TEJAS Mk-1A program, defence officials confirmed on Thursday. A fourth engine is expected later this month, marking a gradual stabilization of supplies after earlier disruptions.
HAL is scheduled to receive 12 engines before the end of the financial year — a critical requirement to meet its production commitments for the Indian Air Force (IAF). The IAF has already ordered 83 TEJAS Mk-1A fighters, while the Cabinet Committee on Security recently cleared an additional proposal for 97 more, taking total Mk-1A numbers close to 180 aircraft.
The engine supply program has faced delays in recent years. In 2021, India signed a $716 million contract with GE for 99 F404-IN20 engines, but supply chain disruptions — including a failure by a South Korean vendor to deliver key parts — pushed the program timeline to March 2025. The arrival of successive consignments in 2025 has now restored confidence in HAL’s production schedule.
HAL is modernising its Bengaluru and Nashik assembly lines and engaging private sector partners under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative to meet future demand. Plans are in place to scale production to 30 aircraft annually by FY 2026–27, a rate comparable with global fighter production benchmarks.
The TEJAS roadmap foresees the induction of around 352 aircraft across Mk-1A and Mk-2 variants, the latter powered by the more advanced GE F414 engine, which will also be co-produced in India. For HAL, the steady inflow of engines is vital, as propulsion systems remain the single most critical imported component in an otherwise largely indigenous fighter design.
For the IAF, the timely delivery of engines directly translates into squadron readiness, especially as ageing MiG-21 aircraft are phased out by 2025. A ramp-up in TEJAS deliveries will help bridge the fleet shortfall and strengthen India’s indigenous airpower capability.
With the latest delivery, HAL appears poised to overcome earlier bottlenecks and shift into a higher production tempo, reinforcing its role as India’s premier aerospace integrator and advancing the nation’s long-term self-reliance in defence aviation.
