Defense officials have acknowledged that Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has advanced in the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) TEJAS MK-1A program by receiving the third General Electric F404-IN20 engine from the United States.
By the end of this month, a fourth engine is expected to be delivered, demonstrating that engine supplies, which had previously experienced problems, are now progressively stabilizing.
Before the end of the current fiscal year, HAL is expected to receive 12 of these engines, which is essential to meeting its production obligations to the Indian Air Force (IAF).
In accordance with the Air Force’s changing squadron requirements, the IAF has already placed definite orders for 83 TEJAS MK-1A aircraft, and the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has approved a proposal for an additional 97 fighters, bringing the total number of Mk1As to 180.
The history of the F404 engine supply program has been tumultuous. In order to satisfy the manufacturing delivery of TEJAS MK-1A and MK-1A, India and General Electric inked a $716 million contract in 2021 to purchase 99 F404-IN20 engines.
However, in addition to more general supply chain interruptions brought on by the pandemic, the endeavor encountered substantial obstacles when a major South Korean component supplier failed to deliver essential parts on time.
Due to these setbacks, delivery schedules had to be revised, and the initial program completion goal was moved to March 2025. HAL’s production cadence depends on the supply line’s confidence being restored with the arrival of further consignments in 2025.
By international aerospace standards, HAL’s broader production roadmap for the TEJAS series is ambitious, especially considering the scale-up planned for domestic fighter manufacturing. About 352 TEJAS fighters, including MK-1A and MK-2 models, will be introduced by the IAF; the MK-2 will have the more potent GE F414 engine.
In order to satisfy this demand, HAL is modernizing its assembly lines in Bengaluru and Nashik and enlisting private sector partners to increase tiered outsourcing and module production through the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat framework.
By FY 2026–2027, current plans call for increasing manufacturing capacities to 30 aircraft annually, which would bring HAL’s TEJAS production up to speed with established worldwide fighter assembly rates for similar aircraft classes.
These deliveries are also important from a financial and strategic standpoint for HAL. Its status as India’s leading aerospace integrator is further cemented by the recent ₹62,000-crore order for 97 Mk1As and the consistent advancement of the MK-2 and AMCA development programs. In an otherwise primarily domestic TEJAS design, engines continue to be the most important imported component in terms of operation, contributing significantly to both production risk and unit prices.
Therefore, a consistent flow of GE engines in 2025–2026 will serve as the catalyst for HAL’s shift from prototype-level production to controlled, large-scale manufacture. In an effort to lessen long-term reliance, the government has also started a parallel path with General Electric for deeper co-production and knowledge transfer of the F414 engine in India.
Receiving engines directly translates into ensuring timely squadron formation from the standpoint of the IAF’s force planning. The introduction of MK-1As starting in 2024 offers much-needed relief and operational stability as obsolescence gradually reduces the operational fleet strength, particularly as legacy MiG-21s are phased out by 2025.
The flow of TEJAS MK-1As will more effectively fill the gap left by retirements once HAL can ramp up to 24–30 aircraft annually. In addition, the MK-2 version, which is expected to be introduced by the end of 2026, will build a multi-tiered fleet that can replace the early 2030s Jaguar, Mirage-2000, and MiG-29 aircraft.
The third GE-404 engine has been delivered, and more are scheduled to follow in the following months. This shows that HAL is moving past previous setbacks and putting itself in a position to continue its dedication to the IAF and India’s broader domestic aerospace goals.
With a stable supply chain, a solid order backlog, and the ability to ramp up production, HAL is about to enter a pivotal period in which consistent engine inflows will serve as the foundation for India’s TEJAS program and its future frontline fighter capabilities.
