HAL Receives Fourth GE F404 Engine for Tejas Mk-1A Production

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has received the fourth GE F404-IN20 engine from GE Aerospace under the ongoing procurement contract signed in 2021. These engines are used in the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk-1A, which will be inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF) in the near future. The latest engine was handed over on 30 September 2025, soon after the third engine was delivered earlier in the same month.

The $716 million agreement covers a total of 99 engines. Initial deliveries were delayed due to global supply chain issues, including a problem with a South Korean supplier. With these issues now resolved, the supply has restarted. HAL expects to receive 12 engines by the end of this financial year, which will support both flight trials and the production of the first aircraft to be given to the IAF.

The delivery record so far is as follows: the first engine arrived on 26 March 2025, the second on 14 July 2025, the third on 11 September 2025, and the fourth on 30 September 2025. According to the revised schedule, the fifth engine is planned for delivery on 21 October 2025, and the sixth engine on 19 November 2025. Remaining deliveries will continue as promised timeline

The IAF has already ordered 83 Tejas Mk-1A aircraft, while an additional 97 jets are under consideration. This would take the total Tejas strength to more than 350 aircraft, including future versions such as the Tejas Mk-2. HAL has stated that once engine supplies are regular, production will increase to 30 aircraft per year from 2026–27 with the help of both public and private sector partners.

The F404-IN20 engines are vital to keeping assembly on track. With GE deliveries resuming, HAL expects a smoother supply chain from the next financial year, helping to avoid delays in aircraft rollout and induction into the IAF.