GE Aerospace handed over the fifth F404-IN20 engine to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on Friday, December 5, marking the restart of supplies for India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk-1A program. The delivery shows some progress, but it also highlights the slow pace affecting this critical defence project.
The engine is part of a $716 million contract signed in 2021 for 99 engines. By now, deliveries should have been much further along to support production of the 83 Tejas Mk-1A jets ordered by the Indian Air Force (IAF). Instead, HAL has received only five engines so far. This delay has repeatedly pushed back HAL’s delivery schedule for the IAF.
GE Aerospace has said it is working to ensure a “clear line of sight” on production, but the current speed of supply remains a major bottleneck. The IAF, already facing a reduced squadron strength of around 31 against the sanctioned 42, is depending heavily on the Tejas program to fill its operational gaps.
India signed another contract in November 2025 for 113 additional engines, but the more urgent concern is still the slow progress on the original order. For HAL to achieve its target of producing 16-24 jets every year, engine deliveries must shift from the present trickle to a steady flow.
The fifth engine’s arrival is more than a routine update. It reflects a crucial moment for the HAL-GE Aerospace supply chain, which has been disrupted by the bankruptcy of a key South Korean sub-vendor and the challenge of restarting a production line that had been inactive since 2016. With the IAF’s squadron numbers falling, each engine now directly affects the force’s readiness.
HAL has been using “Category B” reserve engines to keep flight testing going, but large-scale production of the Tejas Mk-1A cannot move forward without a reliable supply of new engines. The latest delivery is a positive sign, yet until GE reaches its promised output of 20 engines per year by 2026, the Tejas program will continue operating in a vulnerable, hand-to-mouth cycle that restricts India’s ability to phase out its aging MiG-21 fleet.
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