The production of India’s indigenous Tejas Mk-1A fighter jet has hit a setback after US-based General Electric (GE) failed to deliver any F404-IN20 engines to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in August, despite committing to supply two engines every month. The lapse has slowed the pace of assembly at HAL, which is under pressure to ramp up production to meet Indian Air Force requirements.
In July this year, Defence Secretary RK Singh had said that GE had assured a steady supply schedule beginning in August, with two engines each month till March. However, with no engines dispatched in August, the timeline has already slipped. GE has now promised to make up for the missed schedule by delivering three to five engines in October, as per reports.
HAL, meanwhile, is expected to formally request the American manufacturer to increase its production rate to ensure timely deliveries for the Tejas programme.
The disruption is significant because the F404 engine line had only recently been restarted by GE after a five-year pause. HAL received the first engine in March and the second in July, which gave confidence that deliveries were back on track. The August delay has revived concerns about whether GE can sustain the promised supply rate.
As per reports, HAL has readied two LCA Tejas Mk-1A jets with the two engines received so far, and weapon trials are going on with them.
HAL’s long-term production targets of the Tejas Mk1A depend heavily on engine availability. With plans to produce between 16 and 24 Tejas Mk-1A aircraft annually, consistent supply of engines is critical. Indian government has already placed an order for 83 Mk-1A jets and has approved an additional order for 97 more. Ensuring uninterrupted engine flow is therefore vital to meeting the Indian Air Force’s urgent squadron needs.
India has also selected the more powerful F-414 engine from GE for the Tejas Mk2 and initial versions of the fifth generation AMCA fighter jet. While a MoU was signed with GE in June 2023 for joint production of the engines in India, the deal has not progressed much so far. However, recent reports suggest that a deal for 113 engines will be signed soon, and a HAL team will visit US in this month for the same. GE has already delivered ten F414 engines to be used in the Tejas Mk2 jets being developed.
