GE Aerospace Delivers Sixth F404 Engine to HAL, But Tejas Mk1A Program Still Trails Behind Schedule

US aviation powerhouse GE Aerospace has officially handed over its sixth F404-IN20 engine to India's state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), marking another incremental step in the long-running Tejas Mk1A fighter jet program. However, the milestone comes with a significant caveat — the delivery falls well short of the targets that were set for the financial year ending March 31, 2025.

Despite a revised target of 11 engine units for the fiscal year, GE managed to deliver only six, underscoring the persistent supply chain disruptions that have plagued this high-profile defence procurement program. The shortfall has raised fresh concerns about the pace of India's indigenous fighter jet development and the Indian Air Force's (IAF) fleet modernisation ambitions.

A GE Aerospace spokesperson confirmed that this latest handover is part of the original 2021 procurement agreement and emphasised that the company remains in active dialogue with HAL to track production schedules and make future deliveries more consistent and predictable. Despite the reassurances, the situation on the ground reflects a programme under strain.

Notably, the sixth engine has not yet physically arrived in India. HAL officials clarified that the formal handover occurred at a GE facility located in the United States, and the engine is currently awaiting freight transit to Indian shores. This logistical lag adds another layer of complexity to an already stretched delivery timeline, pointing to both manufacturing and shipping bottlenecks that are compounding one another.

The F404-IN20 is the core propulsion system for the Tejas Mk1A, India's advanced single-engine light combat aircraft. The engine contract, finalised in August 2021, was valued at approximately $716 million and covered the supply of 99 engines intended to power a fleet of 83 new Tejas Mk1A jets earmarked for the Indian Air Force. GE delivered the first engine under this contract in March of last year, followed by four additional units by December 2025, bringing the total number of engines physically present in India to five before the latest handover.

Industry insiders and defence officials note that GE Aerospace has attributed these chronic delivery delays to the cascading effects of geopolitical instability in West Asia.

Specifically, the ongoing tensions involving the United States, Israel, and Iran have thrown global aerospace supply chains into disarray, slowing down both the production and transportation of critical engine sub-assemblies and components. These are not isolated disruptions — they reflect a broader fragility in the global aerospace manufacturing ecosystem that is affecting multiple programmes worldwide.

The consequences for India's defence preparedness are far from trivial. HAL's assembly lines currently have multiple Tejas Mk1A airframes sitting complete and ready, awaiting only their engines before they can be finished and inducted into service. This bottleneck in propulsion supply is effectively holding up combat-ready aircraft from reaching the IAF.

The urgency behind this programme cannot be overstated. The Indian Air Force has been operating well below its sanctioned squadron strength for years, relying on aging Soviet-era aircraft that are progressively being phased out. The Tejas Mk1A was envisioned as a crucial stopgap and long-term replacement to arrest the decline in operational fighter numbers. Any further delays in engine deliveries directly translate into a weaker air defence posture for India.

On a more optimistic note, HAL's Chairman and Managing Director, D.K. Sunil, recently revealed that GE Aerospace has committed to delivering an additional 20 F404 engines during the second half of 2026. If these assurances are honoured, the programme could potentially regain some momentum and begin accelerating towards its original induction timelines.

Meanwhile, the IAF is expected to conduct a formal review of the Tejas Mk1A programme in May, at which point the Air Force will assess progress before proceeding with the official acceptance of the first batch of aircraft. How that review unfolds will likely determine the near-term trajectory of one of India's most strategically important defence manufacturing initiatives.

The Tejas Mk1A saga is ultimately a story about the intersection of global geopolitics, supply chain vulnerabilities, and national security imperatives. For India, which is simultaneously pushing hard to build a credible domestic defence industrial base while depending on foreign OEMs for critical components, this episode is a stark reminder of the risks embedded in complex, internationally sourced procurement programmes. Resolving these engine supply issues is not merely an administrative challenge — it is a strategic necessity.