GE Aerospace ships 4 more engines for Tejas jets

GE Aerospace shipped four F404-IN20 engines to India in September, marking a further pick-up in supplies for the indigenous Tejas Mk1A fighter programme.

"GE Aerospace shipped four F404–IN20 engines in September 2026. We remain focused on delivering the engines needed to power India's Tejas indigenous fighter jets," a GE Aerospace spokesperson told news agency ANI. "We are proud to partner with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and the Indian Air Force."

The September shipment follows three engines shipped in August, as GE steps up deliveries after delays in supplying the engines had emerged as a major bottleneck for HAL's Tejas Mk1A programme.

HAL had signed a ₹5,375-crore contract with GE in 2021 for 99 F404-IN20 engines to power the Tejas Mk1A . But deliveries were delayed, holding up the Tejas Mk1A programme.

Former HAL chairman D K Sunil had told ANI in April this year that GE had assured delivery of 20 F404 engines between June and December 2026.

The IAF was originally due to start receiving the Tejas Mk1A in February 2024. But GE delivered the first engine from the 99-engine order only in March 2025.

HAL is yet to deliver a single Tejas Mk1A fighter to the IAF. Delays in engine supplies, followed by pending radar and weapons integration, have pushed back the programme.

GE to set up engine depot in India

Separately, GE Aerospace announced an agreement with the Indian Air Force in April 2026 to establish an F404-IN20 engine depot in India.

The IAF will own, operate and maintain the facility, while GE will provide technical inputs, training, support staff, spares and specialised equipment, the company said.

GE's Tejas partnership

GE Aerospace has a long history of military jet propulsion collaboration in India. After working with the Aeronautical Development Agency in the 1980s, GE's F404-IN20 engine was selected for the single-engine Tejas in 2004.

The F404-IN20 is a tailored design for India’s single-engine fighter. It has the highest thrust within the F404 family, along with a higher-flow fan, unique single-crystal turbine blades, and several special components.