Overview

• HAL says three Tejas Mk1A aircraft are ready pending final trials, with first handovers to the Indian Air Force expected this month.
• Negotiations for a follow-on order of 113 F404 engines worth over $1 billion are complete, with contract signing expected in October.
• The new engine order covers 68 single-seat fighters and 29 twin-seat trainers, with deliveries scheduled to start in 2027–28 and conclude over six years.
• Under a 2021 pact, GE is supplying 99 F404-IN20 engines for the initial 83 Mk1A jets, though earlier delays left at least 10 completed airframes awaiting engines.
• HAL reports weapons integration is finished, including Astra and ASRAAM firings, and production ramps at Bengaluru and Nashik depend on stabilizing engine deliveries, which GE has indicated will rise after this year.