SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
The long-standing uncertainty surrounding the engine supply for India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A has finally been resolved, bringing relief to the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). According to aerospace journalist Anantha Krishnan M, the GE F404 engines, critical to powering the new Mk1A variant—affectionately dubbed “LCA Alpha”—are on their way to India.
This development, detailed in a report by Tarmak Media House (TMH) on March 21, 2025, puts an end to months of speculation, debate, and concern over the “missing power plant” that had threatened to derail the ambitious indigenous fighter program.
The LCA Tejas Mk1A, an advanced iteration of India’s homegrown light combat aircraft, has been eagerly awaited by the IAF to bolster its depleting fighter squadrons. However, delays in securing the GE F404 engines—chosen for their proven performance and compatibility with the Tejas design—had cast a shadow over the program. With the first of these engines now nearing delivery, the stalemate is over, and production is poised to accelerate.
The first GE F404 engine designated for the LCA Mk1A is undergoing its final round of checks on a test bed at GE Aerospace’s facility in Lynn, Massachusetts. These exhaustive tests are crucial, as the F404 production line has been dormant for years, requiring meticulous validation to ensure reliability.
The engine is slated to arrive in India via freight in April 2025, marking a turning point for the Mk1A program. This timeline aligns with HAL’s production schedules and the IAF’s urgent need for new fighters.
The GE F404 saga has been a sore point for the LCA program. Initial delays stemmed from supply chain disruptions post-COVID, coupled with GE’s prioritization of other global customers like South Korea (KF-21 Boramae) and the US Navy (F/A-18). The F404-IN20 variant, tailored for the Tejas with 84 kN thrust, required reactivation of an idle production line, adding to the timeline. India’s earlier order of 99 engines for the 83 Mk1A jets (contracted in 2021) faced setbacks, but the April 2025 delivery signals GE’s renewed commitment—bolstered by diplomatic and industrial pressure from New Delhi.
NOTE: Article cannot be reproduced without written permission of idrw.org in any form even for YouTube Videos to avoid Copy right strikes. Websites doing illegal reproductions will get DMCA and Legal Notices.