Hindustan Aeronautics inks pact with General Electric for supply of 113 engines for LCA Mk1A fighter jets

NEW DELHI: Amid concerns over the depleting number of combat squadrons in the Air Force, India and the United States have inked an agreement for the supply of engines for the LCA Mk1A fighter jets. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has entered into an agreement with M/s. General Electric Company, USA, on 7th November 2025 for the supply of 113 Nos of F404-GE-IN20 engines and support package for execution of 97 LCA Mk1A programme, said HAL on its social media handle. The engine deliveries would be from 2027 to 2032. The contract for 97 LCA Mk 1A was signed in September 2025, it added. The New Indian Express earlier reported that negotiations with GE for the engines were completed in September. In August, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) gave the go-ahead for 97 LCA Mk1A jets to be manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited at a cost of around Rs 67,000 crore. The new engines to be procured will be used for these combat jets. In the meantime, the Mk-1A has completed weapons integration trials, including the firing of Astra and Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAM). Giving the timeline of the deliveries, sources said the advanced LCA Mk2 is scheduled to be rolled out in 2027, while 83 Mk1A fighters are now expected by 2029, after a reported delay of four quarters. The Tejas Mk1A is the newer and improved version of India's single-engine, 4.5 generation delta wing multirole combat aircraft designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency. It will play an important role in mitigating the decrease in the quantity of combat jets and the overall fall in combat squadrons. As earlier brought out by The New Indian Express , the IAF had ordered 83 LCA Tejas Mk 1A at a cost of Rs 46,000 crore in 2021. Once this new order is completed in the stipulated 15 years, the IAF will have 40 LCA, over 180 LCA Mark-1A and at least 120 LCA Mark-2 planes. The fast dwindling combat fighter strength has resulted in anxiety in the IAF leadership. The 23 Squadron of the MiG-21 was number plated in September, bringing the current number of fighter squadrons below 30. Officially, the IAF is supposed to have 42 squadrons of combat squadrons. A squadron comprises 16-18 aircraft. In September, The New Indian Express noted the need for more combat squadrons than the sanctioned numbers to meet the contingency of a two-front conflict. Tejas is a single-engine, lightweight multi-role fighter, originally meant to replace the MiG-21. The first indigenous LCA was inducted in July 2016. The first IAF Squadron to induct the Tejas was the No 45 Squadron, the 'Flying Daggers'. Forty LCA Tejas Mk 1 fighters were ordered initially, of which 35 have been inducted till now.