Overview

• Defence officials say the agreement with GE is expected to be signed by September, with deliveries paced at roughly two engines per month.
• The additional 113 F404 engines would raise India’s total to 212 units, aimed at preventing assembly-line slowdowns.
• HAL previously contracted 99 engines for the first 83 Tejas Mk‑1A jets, and the new order supports the 97 aircraft approved this month.
• Separate negotiations continue for about 200 GE F414 engines in a roughly $1.5 billion arrangement that includes around 80% technology transfer for LCA Mk 2 and AMCA.
• HAL’s delivery plan targets the first 83 Mk‑1A aircraft by 2029–30 and the next 97 by 2033–34, with timelines dependent on uninterrupted engine supply.