Hindustan Aeronautics Limited has been supplied the third GE-404 engine from the American company General Electric. This engine is an important part of the LCA (Light Combat Aircraft) Tejas Mark-1A program. At the same time, the fourth engine is expected to reach India this month. Let me tell you that in the last month (August), when the attitude of US President Donald Trump was strict towards India, not a single engine was supplied. During that time there was tremendous sourness in relations between India and America. According to the deal, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (AHL) will get 12 out of 99 engines from GE from GE till this year (2025–2). These engines are used for LCA Mark-1A advanced version of LCA-Tejas fighter jet. The engine delivery from the US is being delayed by about two years.
This delivery has taken place at a time when the Indian Air Force needs Tejas aircraft. The Air Force has already ordered 83 Tejas MK-1A fighter aircraft and the government has recently approved the purchase of 97 more aircraft. Overall, now the path of 180 indigenous fighter aircraft has been cleared. The supply of engine is considered very important to prepare these aircraft on time.
HAL has to get 12 GE-404 (GE-404 Engine) engines by the end of this financial year. These engines will be used in the Tejas fleet of the Indian Air Force. So far, three engines HALs have got and the fourth engine will soon be delivered. The engine supply is expected to be faster in the coming months.
Tejas MK-1A delivery has already been delayed. The main reason for this delay was the problems of the supply chain and the availability of the engine. In March 2025, GE assigned the first engine to HAL. Since then, the engine is gradually reaching India. But timely supply is mandatory to meet the production target.
According to sources, HAL plans to make 30 Tejas aircraft every year by 2026-27. Right now the production rate is much lower than this. It will be possible to reach this goal only after the engine supply is smooth.
In the year 2021, the Ministry of Defense signed an agreement with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (AHL) 83 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mark-A for the Air Force. The total price of this agreement was around 48 thousand crores. For these LCA fighter aircraft, India had signed a 99 F-404 aviation engine deal with the US GE company. For the last two years, the supply of these aviation engines from America has not been properly supplied to HAL. So far, only two (02) engines have been supplied from America. The US claims that this is happening due to the disruptions of the global supply chain, but it is believed that the first conspiracy to attempt to kill Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannu and now due to the tariff war (and operation vermilion), the supply is happening very slow.
AHL claims that the engine supply is fixed, the Air Force may supply 10 fighter aircraft by this year (March 2026). In July, Principal Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) PK Mishra himself reviewed the LCA project by visiting AHL’s facility in Bengaluru.
Trump praised India for the third consecutive time on Wednesday (10 September 2025) after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China (31 August-September). After Trump’s latest statement, PM Modi has also said that India and America are very good friends and natural partners. In Operation Sindoor, the relations between India and America were soured due to the denial of Trump’s mediation. Trump had imposed a 50 percent tariff, calling India a dead-economy, but Trump had to bow down to India’s policies and desire to meet Modi. It is noteworthy that despite the delay in supply of aviation engine from the US, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (AHL), the Indian Air Force is going to deliver two advance version of LCA Tejas Fighter Jet, Mark-1A.
