GE Aerospace has a contract to supply 99 F404-IN20 engines to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). | Photo credit: File photo
Engine manufacturer General Electric (GE) Aerospace on April 2 announced the delivery of the sixth F404-IN20 engine to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk 1A. GE Aerospace will supply HAL with 99 F404-IN20 engines.
“GE Aerospace has delivered a sixth F404-IN20 engine against the 2021 order,” said a GE Aerospace spokesperson.
A HAL spokesperson told The Hindu: “The sixth F404-IN20 engine has been handed over in the US. The handover will take place in the US and will be brought here by freight.”
The spokeswoman did not specify when the engine will arrive in India in view of the ongoing crises in West Asia.
Twelve engines were to be delivered to HAL by the end of the last financial year. However, only six engines have been delivered so far.
The first engine was delivered by the American engine manufacturer on 26 March 2025, and the fifth engine was delivered on 5 December.
There has been a delay in the engine delivery schedule for the LCA Mk-1A variant, which was criticized by the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal AP Singh during the recent Aero India in Bengaluru.
HAL Chairman and Managing Director DK Sunil had earlier said that the delay was due to GE Aerospace not meeting the engine delivery deadline.
“The primary reason is the engine. When (the IAF chief) mentioned (about being unsure about HAL during Aero India) in February, we didn’t have a single GE engine even though the airframe was ready,” said Dr. Sunil The Hindu in July 2025.
Terms and conditions
In February 2021, the Ministry of Defense signed a ₹48,000 crore contract with HAL to procure 83 Tejas Mk-1A jets for the IAF.
Under the contract, HAL will manufacture 73 LCA Tejas Mk-1A fighter aircraft and 10 LCA Tejas Mk-1 Trainer aircraft. The delivery of all 83 aircraft was to be completed within eight years from the date of signing the contract.
“HAL will deliver the first three aircraft in the third year and 16 aircraft annually for the next five years,” the Defense Ministry said in 2021.
Published – 02 Apr 2026 12:37 IST
