India Requests Accelerated Delivery of GE F404 Engines for Tejas Aircraft Amid Production Delays
India's Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, has called on U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to accelerate the delivery of GE F404-IN20 engines. These engines are essential for the Tejas Mk-1 and Mk-1A variants of India's domestically produced Light Combat Aircraft. The appeal was made during a bilateral meeting on Tuesday, according to The Print.
The engines have been delayed for over two years, posing a major challenge to the production schedules of the Tejas jets, which are being developed collaboratively by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Singh emphasized the urgency of the situation, noting that resolving the engine delivery delay is of critical importance.
Manufactured by General Electric, the GE F404-IN20 engine plays a vital role in India's strategy to modernize its air force as part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. The Tejas fighter, a lightweight, single-engine aircraft, is central to India's efforts to achieve self-reliance in defense manufacturing.
Production delays have impacted HAL's capability to fulfill the order of 83 Tejas Mk-1A jets, which were secured under a contract valued at ₹48,000 crore signed in 2021. Additional orders are anticipated. The Indian Air Force, aiming to replace its outdated fleet, considers the timely integration of Tejas aircraft essential for enhancing its operational readiness amid increasing regional security challenges.
