US engine maker General Electric (GE) Aerospace on Thursday (April 2, 2026) announced the delivery of the sixth F404-IN20 engine to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk 1A aircraft. GE Aerospace has to deliver 99 such engines to HAL.

“GE Aerospace has delivered the sixth F404-IN20 engine against a 2021 order,” a company spokesperson said. “The sixth F404-IN20 engine was delivered to the US.

The delivery is to the US, and will be brought here through freight,” a HAL spokesperson told The Hindu. The spokesperson did not say when the engine would arrive in India in view of the ongoing crisis in West Asia.

HAL was expected to receive twelve engines by the end of the last financial year. However, only six engines have been made available so far.

The first engine was delivered by the manufacturer on March 26, 2025, and the fifth engine on December 5 last year. There has been a delay in the delivery schedule of engines for the LCA Mk-1A variant, which was unveiled by Air Chief Marshal A. P.

Singh during the last edition of Aero India in Bengaluru. Singh had criticized. HAL Chairman and Managing Director D.

K. Sunil had earlier said that the delay was due to GE Aerospace not meeting the deadline for supply of engines.

“The primary reason is the engine. When he (IAF chief) had mentioned in February (about not trusting HAL during Aero India), we did not have a single engine from GE, although the airframe was ready,” Mr Sunil had told The Hindu in July 2025.

Contract Terms In February 2021, the Defense Ministry had signed a ₹48,000 crore deal with HAL to procure 83 Tejas MK-1A jets for the Indian Air Force. As per the contract, HAL will manufacture 73 LCA Tejas Mk-1A fighter aircraft and 10 LCA Tejas Mk-1 trainer aircraft.

Delivery of all 83 aircraft was to be completed in eight years from the date of signing the contract. “HAL will deliver the first three aircraft in the third year and 16 aircraft per year for the next five years,” the ministry said in 2021.