GE Aerospace delivers 4 more engines for LCA Mk-1A

US firm GE Aerospace on Wednesday said it has shipped four more F404–IN20 engines to India for the light combat aircraft (LCA Mk-1A) being built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

“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. We are proud to partner with HAL and the Indian Air Force,” a GE spokesperson said.

These engines are in addition to the 10 already supplied to the state-run aircraft maker.

LCA Mk-1A is finally nearing induction into the IAF after missing several deadlines. Both the IAF and HAL are confident the locally built, single-engine fighter will enter service by year-end. The LCA Mk-1A will replace the IAF’s workhorse MiG-21s, which retired last year after more than six decades of service.

The IAF has placed two orders for 180 Mk-1A fighter jets worth a combined ₹1.1 lakh crore. The first contract for 83 aircraft was signed in February 2021, followed by a second one for 97 fighters in September 2025. The deliveries, which are likely to begin in December, are under the first contract. The first Mk-1A aircraft, ordered in 2021, was due for delivery in March 2024. That deadline was missed due to a combination of factors, including GE Aerospace’s inability to supply the F404-IN20 engines on time and delays in securing key certifications.

The US firm is expected to deliver more than 20 engines annually from 2027 onwards.

HAL can build 24 LCA Mk-1As every year at its production lines in Bengaluru and Nashik. It aims to execute the 2021 order in three to four years, and deliveries under the second contract are expected to begin in 2027-28 and be completed in six years.

On October 3, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh said the delay in inducting new fighter jets is hurting the IAF, and the country needs to produce up to 40 aircraft a year to plug capability gaps and build long-term combat strength.

He said the IAF is counting on the timely induction of the LCA Mk-1A, the new multi-role fighter aircraft (MRFA), and additional Sukhoi-30MKIs to shore up its fighter fleet and prevent its combat squadron count from falling below 30, while underscoring the need to deploy fifth-generation aircraft as well.