India inks $1 billion deal with US-based General Electric for Tejas engines

India has signed a $1 billion deal with America’s General Electric for the procurement of 113 jet engines to power the indigenous Tejas Mark 1-A fighters.

The GE-F404 engines will be delivered to the defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) between 2027 and 2032. However, the delivery of 99 such engines ordered in August 2021 is still pending.

Talking about the recent deal signed in Bengaluru, HAL chief D K Sunil told the Times of India, “We have 11 Tejas aircraft ready, including four fitted with the new GE engines. We are moving towards certification, and the aim is to deliver the first 10 jets to IAF by the end of March next year.”

Apart from delays in the delivery of the first 99 engines, production of the Tejas Mark-1A has also been slowed by the pending trials and integration of several weapon systems, including the Astra beyond-visual-range missile, the ASRAAM short-range missile, and laser-guided bombs, with the Israeli Elta ELM-2052 radar and its fire-control suite.

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What’s the status?

Currently, HAL has received four of the initial batch of 99 engines, with the fifth expected later this month. Once the supply stabilises, GE has committed to delivering 20 engines annually.

In terms of the Tejas weapons trial, the HAL chief said, “Results of the data from the trials involving Astra and ASRAAMs are being analysed. Next, during Nov and Dec, we plan to begin the bombing trials. If GE delivers 10 engines in time, we don’t see any reason for delay in handing over 10 aircraft to the IAF by the end of this fiscal.”

More Tejas orders

In September, the Indian Air Force was slated to receive as many as 97 Tejas Mark-1A fighters under the largest-ever contract with Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) worth Rs 66,500. The development came after Russian-origin MiG-21 fighter jets were decommissioned.

The order came following Operation Sindoor, which saw Pakistan use Chinese-origin jets like J-10s armed with PL-15, and made IAF come to the conclusion based on an internal assessment that it will need far more than even its “authorised” 42.5 fighter squadrons.

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The IAF has consistently raised concerns over the painfully slow progress in developing the single-engine Tejas fighters, warning that operational readiness cannot be compromised indefinitely in the name of atmanirbharta (self-reliance).