GE Resumes India Tejas Fighter Jet Engines Delivery After Delays

American firm General Electric Aerospace has officially resumed the delivery of GE-F404 engines used to power India's indigenous fighter jet, the India's tejas fighter jet, after a period of repeated delays lasting nearly two years. On Wednesday, 26th March, the manufacturer announced that it had successfully delivered the very first unit out of a total order of 99 engines placed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, the state-run Indian enterprise responsible for building the aircraft. The delivery marks a significant milestone in a collaborative relationship spanning four decades between the two organizations.

Restarting Production Line

The resumption comes after complex logistical hurdles. GE Aerospace explained that after completing an earlier commitment of 65 engines in 2016, the production line for the F404-IN20 model was shut down due to a lack of further orders. When HAL placed a fresh order for 99 additional engines in 2021 for the Tejas Mk1A variant, the company faced the arduous task of reviving a dormant production line and re-engaging a global supply chain during the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these hurdles, manufacturing operations have restarted and production is currently being ramped up.

GE Aerospace has delivered the first of 99 ordered F404-IN20 engines to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

This development occurs while the Indian Air Force continues to manage a significant shortage in its operational fighter fleet. Currently operating only 31 squadrons, the air force faces the impending retirement of several aging Soviet and European-origin aircraft. These numbers fall short of the required 42 squadrons necessary to effectively address potential two-front security challenges. Consequently, the armed forces are depending heavily on accelerated inductions of locally designed Tejas variants to bolster fleet numbers, even though prior rollouts have suffered from slow paces and production setbacks.

Why it matters

The resumption of engine supplies is critical for bolstering India's domestic defense manufacturing ambitions and addressing the dwindling squadron strength of the Indian Air Force. With the air force facing acute shortages and impending retirements of older fleets, timely delivery of these propulsion systems directly influences how quickly the state-run builder can roll out the much-anticipated Tejas Mk1A jets to safeguard national security.