India has received the second General Electric (GE) F404-IN20 engine from America, which is part of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mark 1A project.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which is producing the indigenous fighter planes, is expected to receive a total of 12 such engines by the end of the current fiscal year.
These engines will operate the LCA Mark 1A jets, for which the Indian Air Force (IAF) has already placed orders for 83. Negotiations to procure a further 97 aircraft are said to be in an advanced stage, indicating robust momentum for the Tejas programme.
Speaking to CNBC News-18 on Monday, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar confirmed that GE intends to step up engine deliveries to two aircraft per month until March 2026.
The contract for the engines was in 2021, with India agreeing to spend $716 million on the purchase of 99 F404-IN20 engines. Supply chain problems, including one due to a delay by a South Korean components supplier, however, delayed the delivery schedule until March 2025.
The IAF has future plans to induct 352 Tejas fighter jets in total, covering the Mk1A and the future Mk2 variants. HAL is still upbeat about achieving its current delivery timelines, even after facing initial setbacks.
In the future, HAL hopes engine supply will stabilize in the forthcoming financial cycle, enabling production to ramp up. By 2026–27, the Tejas program is estimated to achieve full production capacity, aimed at the delivery of 30 aircraft per annum with cooperation from public sector players as well as private industry partners.
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