Boost for Tejas fleet: HAL receives 4th GE engine; $1 billion follow-on order likely in October

NEW DELHI: American firm GE Aerospace has handed over the fourth F404-IN20 fighter jet engine to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited ( HAL ) against the 2021 order, HAL confirmed on Wednesday. The engines will power India’s indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A , which is being inducted into the Indian Air Force .

HAL Chairman and Managing Director Dr DK Sunil said that negotiations for a follow-on order of 113 GE-404 engines, valued at over USD 1 billion, have been concluded and the contract is expected to be signed in October. “We expect to sign it in October. The contract will be worth more than 1 billion. The contract negotiations are done, and the price is finalised. We are only going through the contract details, and we have to sign,” he told ANI.

The new order will cover engines for 68 single-seat fighters and 29 twin-seat trainers, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2027-28 and completed over six years. HAL aims to deliver the first aircraft by October this year, with three already ready pending final trials. “Three aircraft are ready as of now. We need to do the final trials. We expect to complete those trials in October. I think we should be able to deliver by October,” Dr Sunil added.

HAL had earlier secured a contract for 99 engines to power the initial 83 Tejas jets ordered by the Air Force. The handover of the fourth F404-IN20 engine follows the delivery of the third earlier this month.

Looking ahead, HAL is also negotiating an 80% technology transfer for GE’s F414 engines, which will power the advanced LCA Mk2 and the indigenous Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), a step aligned with India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision.

The deal underlines India’s broader push for defence indigenisation and reducing reliance on foreign suppliers.