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Engine shaper General Electric (GE) Aerospace connected April 2 announced transportation of the sixth of F404-IN20 motor to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk 1A. GE Aerospace is to present 99 F404-IN20 engines to HAL.
“GE Aerospace has handed implicit the sixth F404-IN20 motor against the bid from 2021,” said a GE Aerospace spokesperson.
A HAL spokesperson told The Hindu, “The sixth F404-IN20 motor was handed implicit successful the US. The handing implicit happens successful the US, and it volition beryllium brought present done freight.”
The spokesperson did not specify erstwhile the motor would get successful India considering the ongoing crises successful West Asia.
Twelve engines were expected to beryllium delivered to HAL by the extremity of the past fiscal year. However, lone six engines person been delivered truthful far.
The archetypal motor was delivered by the US motor shaper connected March 26, 2025, and the 5th motor was delivered connected December 5.
There has been a hold successful the transportation of engines for the LCA Mk-1A variant, which was criticised by Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh during the past variation of the Aero India successful Bengaluru.
HAL Chairman and Managing Director D.K. Sunil had earlier said that the hold was owed to GE Aerospace missing the deadline for proviso of engines.
“The superior crushed is the engine. When helium (IAF chief) mentioned successful February (about not being assured of HAL during Aero India), we did not person a azygous motor from GE though the airframe was ready,” Dr. Sunil had told The Hindu successful July 2025.
Terms of contract
In February 2021, the Ministry of Defence had signed a ₹48,000-crore woody with HAL for the procurement of 83 Tejas Mk-1A jets for the IAF.
As per the contract, HAL volition manufacture 73 LCA Tejas Mk-1A combatant craft and 10 LCA Tejas Mk-1 Trainer aircraft. The transportation of each 83 craft were to beryllium completed successful 8 years from the day of signing the contract.
“HAL volition beryllium delivering the archetypal 3 craft successful the 3rd year, and 16 craft per twelvemonth for consequent 5 years,” the Ministry of Defence had stated successful 2021.
