General Electric (GE) Aerospace has delivered the first of 99 F404-IN20 jet engines to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for India’s Tejas Light Combat Aircraft Mk1A. This marks the beginning of deliveries for the long-awaited fighter jet program.
Delivery Plan for 2025
According to defence sources, 12 engines will be delivered this year. The first engine is currently undergoing final checks at GE’s facility in Lynn, USA, and is expected to arrive in India in April.
At the Aero India event in February, HAL Chairman D.K. Sunil mentioned that 12 Tejas Mk1A jets would be ready this year. Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh emphasized that the IAF needs 35-40 new fighter jets annually to meet its requirements. HAL has assured that it will produce 24 Tejas Mk1A jets next year.
Reason for Delay
Shawn Warren, General Manager of Combat & Trainer Engines at GE Aerospace, explained that delays were due to restarting the production line, which had been inactive for five years. The F404-IN20 engine was initially selected in 2004 for India’s single-engine fighter. It is a modified version of the F404 family, offering the highest thrust, better fan efficiency, and advanced turbine blades.
The F404-IN20 engine proved its capability during the Tejas test flight in 2008, achieving speeds of Mach 1.1. By 2016, GE had delivered 65 engines for 40 Tejas jets, after which the production line was shut down due to no further orders. When HAL ordered 99 additional engines in 2021, GE had to restart production and re-establish its global supply chain, a process made more difficult by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Production Updates
At Aero India, Mr. Sunil assured that GE’s supply chain problems had been resolved. He stated that 12 F404 engines would be delivered this year. HAL has already built three Tejas Mk1A jets, with a target of delivering 11 more by the end of 2025. Production is expected to reach 24 jets per year, completing the current order of 87 jets within three and a half years. Another order for 97 additional jets is planned for completion by FY31-32.
Future of the IAF Fleet
Currently, the IAF operates 31 fighter squadrons, while the required strength is 42.5 squadrons. In addition to the delayed Tejas Mk1A deliveries, several older fighter jets like the Jaguars, MIG-29UPG, and Mirage-2000 will be retired by the end of this decade. Meanwhile, the more advanced LCA-Mk2 is under development, and India’s fifth-generation fighter jet, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), is at least a decade away from completion.
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A high-level defence committee, led by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, has recommended steps to enhance the IAF’s capabilities in the short, medium, and long term. These recommendations were recently submitted to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
