In April, the defence ministry issued a tender to HAL for the proposed acquisition of 97 more TEJAS MK-1As to strengthen the air force’s capabilities

New Delhi: US engine maker GE Aerospace on Friday said it is working with state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to fix issues related to the delay in the supply of its F4O4 engines for the Tejas light combat aircraft (TEJAS MK-1A) program, attributing it to supply chain bottlenecks in the aerospace industry.

The supply of the F404 engines, delayed by around ten months, has a direct bearing on the new fighter jet’s delivery timeline.

The aerospace industry continues to experience unprecedented supply chain pressures, a GE Aerospace spokesperson said. “GE Aerospace is working with our partner HAL and suppliers to resolve constraints and deliver F404-IN20 engines for the TEJAS MK-1A program.”

The statement was in response to HT queries on the reasons for the delay and steps being taken to fix the problem, as the program is crucial for the Indian Air Force, which is grappling with a shortage of fighter squadrons.

IAF was concerned about the current pace of the TEJAS MK-1A program because of the possible risks a delay in the induction of new fighter planes could pose to the air force’s combat effectiveness, and has flagged the hot-button issue to plane maker HAL, calling for timely execution of the Rs.48,000-crore contract for 83 jets.

HAL is targeting the first delivery of the aircraft in August, five months behind schedule, after completing the necessary certification requirements, and says it will deliver 16 of these fighters to IAF in the financial year 2024-25 as per schedule. It also hopes to deliver all the 83 aircraft on order by 2028-29.

To be sure, the delivery of the 16 fighters and the ones to follow, however, hinges on GE Aerospace’s ability to speed up deliveries of the engines, as the few with HAL are insufficient to meet the requirement.

Many in the air force are sceptical about the TEJAS MK-1A deadlines being met, and one of the main reasons for that is the lingering delay in the supply of the F404 engines. The single-engine Mk-1A will be a replacement for the IAF’s Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 fighter.

HAL officials on Thursday acknowledged the engine delay issue but said the plane maker was working towards resolving it and has plans in place to ensure that the project doesn’t suffer.

“We are hoping to get some F404 engines to deliver 16 Mk-1A aircraft in FY 2024-25. If there is more delay, HAL will still keep building the planes and fly them with Category B engines (reserve ones). When the GE engines come, we will fit those on the aircraft and deliver the planes to IAF,” an official said.

Even as doubts shroud the delivery schedule of the TEJAS MK-1A jets, more are to be ordered soon. In April, the defence ministry issued a tender to HAL for the proposed acquisition of 97 more TEJAS MK-1As to strengthen the air force’s capabilities. The new fighter planes are expected to cost around ₹67,000 crore.

HAL is looking at a long-term partnership with GE Aerospace. The two firms signed a memorandum of understanding in Washington in June 2023 to produce 99 F414 engines for the future TEJAS MK-2 program during PM Narendra Modi’s visit. The deal will involve an 80% transfer of technology (ToT) and is estimated to be worth around $1 billion.

The ToT for the F414s will cover 11 critical areas many of which were entirely off-limits more than a decade ago when the US and India began talks on the possible production of the engines in the country. Back then, the US agreed to only 58% technology transfer, keeping a string of key engine technologies out of India’s reach.

The F414 has evolved from the F404 engine that powers the existing Mk-1 aircraft and will power the new MK-1A variants and is imported from the US. The local production of the F414 engines is expected to result in the MK-2 jets having an indigenous content of 75% compared to 55%-60% in MK-1A and 50% in MK-1.

Forty MK-1 jets operated by IAF are in the initial operational clearance (IOC) and the more advanced final operational clearance (FOC) configurations — the first variants of TEJAS.

HAL will set up a new engine complex for producing the F414 engines as existing capacities are insufficient for the program.