HAL Considers Reserved F404 Engines to Power the Initial Tejas Mk-1A Batch amid GE Delays

The Indian Air Force's (IAF) acquisition of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-Mk1A has encountered another setback due to delays in engine deliveries from General Electric (GE). Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the aircraft's manufacturer, is now preparing to install used engines as a temporary solution, casting further doubt on the November delivery timeline.

A defence official revealed, "Not a single engine has been received so far. They are now expected to be delivered from September onwards." To mitigate the delay, HAL, in collaboration with the IAF, has devised a plan to equip the initial batch of LCA-Mk1A jets with Category-2, or used, engines until the new GE F-404 engines arrive.

The Defence Ministry signed a ₹48,000 crore deal with HAL for 83 LCA-Mk1A fighters in February 2021, followed by a $716 million contract with GE Aviation for 99 F404 engines in August 2021. The original delivery schedule stipulated three LCA-Mk1A jets by February 2024, with 16 aircraft per year for the following five years.

GE Aerospace acknowledged the "unprecedented supply chain pressures" plaguing the aerospace industry and assured that they are working with HAL and suppliers to resolve constraints and deliver the F404-IN20 engines as soon as possible.

While manufacturing of the jets is ongoing at HAL, the engine delay remains the primary obstacle. Officials remain optimistic that a small batch of jets can be delivered swiftly once a sufficient number of engines are received, with a revised goal of delivering at least one LCA-Mk1A by year-end and eight to nine jets by the end of the fiscal year.

The delay is a cause for concern for the IAF, as the LCA is slated to form a significant portion of its fleet in the coming decades. The LCA-Mk1A is crucial for arresting the decline in fighter squadron strength and subsequently increasing it.

In addition to the 83 Mk1A aircraft on order, the Defence Ministry has granted preliminary approval for the procurement of another 97 LCA-Mk1A, bringing the total to 180 Mk1A jets alongside 220 jets of the Mk1 variant. The combined cost of the 180 Mk1As is estimated at ₹1.15 lakh crore.

Furthermore, a larger and more capable LCA-Mk2, powered by GE F-414 engines, is under development. A deal to license manufacture the F-414 engines in India is in its final stages, with the IAF committing to procuring around 120 LCA-Mk2 aircraft.

 

[Rohan Oriya]

I support my country's researchers and HAL team

 

[wallisk]

I support my country's researchers and HAL team

Once Kaveri2.0 90KN max. thrusts engines are proofed 100% then, can use same platform and increase it to 120KN next steps...

 

[Rudra]

US holding delivery from Backend, simple.

 

[beencensured]

If supply to India is not priority for GE, it must be dropped from the talks for AMCA & MKII engines immediately and must be told so in very clear language..

America inherited from the British its empire and its love child Pakistan. Though a love/hate relationship with lots of turmoil, Pakistan as the America saying goes is America's B1tc#t, and America would never let India even be able to defend itself. It is cold war ally which since 1980's made great profit have kicking Soviets from Afghanistan and destabilizing India by genocide of Kashmiri Hindu and destabilizing Punjab, and being part of America's number one business illicit drugs(since opium wars), destabilizing world. Further Ge engine is unreliable FADEC controlled which recent accident with Tejas defies that it worked properly and could be a point of sabotage like a trojan.

Best to invest in Kaveri engine and kick the dependence with American who love and protect terrorist. America loves to steel Our most educated, literate people and use them to make their military /industrial state. This causes losses of trillions of dollars to economy. India has live through too much American sponsored terrorism Like 26/11 with CIA's David Headley, recent supply m4 rifles with steel bullets to terrorist escalating the seriousness of terrorism, Besides contributing Bengal genocide, and many other terrorist attacks.

So long term only Kaveri engine will do as India will be the pre-emanate superpower. Dependence on USA is foolish .

 

[Sandeep]

Just wondering if it is possible for HAL to go with a different engine (from GE or from a different vendor)which is more readily available. Will the time spent on integrating and testing that new engine be more or less than the delay we are expecting now in F404 deliveries?

You can’t switch engines that easily. Picking a new engine now will require internal and maybe structural changes to the jet and will need to go through a long period of testing. Also just negotiating a contract can take years so by then GE would have hopefully resolved their supply chain issues.

 

[Sandeep]

It seems the indigenous jet can't fly without an engine but the gov. forgot about the engine and declared Tejas an indigenous success story this is what we got after nearly 40 years in development.

Most of the progress with Tejas MK1A has been made and developed in the last 10 years. Before that 30 years were wasted on doing nothing except make plans on papers.

 

[Sandeep]

Brothers that's why all the critical component should be made in house.

had babus and mudi ji continued the funding of kaveri then we would not be in this mess right now.

this engine delay by GE is most likely intentional.

The Kaveri engine will be used for the Ghatak drone as it was certified after passing high altitude tests and giving about 50kn of thrust.

Further research is still continuing but modern jet engine technology has moved on from the simple basics. Thats why we are developing a brand new 5th generation jet engine with Safran which will be developed by India also.

 

[GMR]

For all you Amreeki maal lovers. Russia is not the only one that does not deliver products on time. When the time comes, even our bosom buddies and strategic partners can give you the shaft.

Correct.. still we r salivating for imported platforms, still neglecting to invest in R&D in big way and still lacking the vision to partner private sector in R&D & manufacturing by incentives, assured demands & hand holding. We need atmanirbharata in a holistic manner & in a true sense

 

[Anurag]

Kaveri is a failure. It won’t work as long as GTRE is involved.

Kaveri was never been a failure and it was one of the program which have to see day of the light but few people thought it just wastage of money!!

 

[Akshat]

Kaveri was never been a failure and it was one of the program which have to see day of the light but few people thought it just wastage of money!!

Oh it has been nothing but a failure. Blank check funding, full support, decades of patience but DRDO just couldn’t deliver anything. We shouldn’t have trusted them with such a major and complicated project. Our bad.

 

[Shanker]

Is there a possibility to call for alternatives, say, European E300 or its enhanced versions?
Alternatively, can HAL arrange a temporary assembly line, and receive the CKD Kits from GE as a supplementary supply if it helps?

 

[wallisk]

Is there a possibility to call for alternatives, say, European E300 or its enhanced versions?
Alternatively, can HAL arrange a temporary assembly line, and receive the CKD Kits from GE as a supplementary supply if it helps?

If one is ready to shell out the moolah that Europeans wants for their engines and ToT's then, one can go ahead and do this... EJ200 is 1.6 times costlier than GEF404 engines...

 

[sandy 007]

What i think buy RR Engine and do little bit R&D and fix it at least two competitor should be there and HAL should use both kind of engine ,This way we will not face any delays nor any randyrona on engine. This way RR also wants to sell its engine take some hot core technology from them also. This is like single vendor situation for India. If we relly wants to increase our production then we will have to take step so that there should not be sabotaging on engine by any player.Nam bade hai darshan chote hai.

 

[Sandeep]

Currently all of the engines are made in the USA and any delays in supplying them creates problems for us. But HAL should still keep production of the jets going and increase the amount of indigenous content, equipment and technology.

 

[Nvs rao]

No body knows that kaveri engine tests by safron was cleared and approved in 2019 but what is stopping to integrate the engine for trials further for Tejas.
but no information available in the media or any where. Every time giving sensational type of news that Tejas mk-2, AMCA, MRFA, and navy Tejas like news appear to divert the real issue.
even china integrating it's stealth fighter jets with in 2 to 3 years. here is testing 5 years trails 5 years integration another 5 years what is the method or system working behind this

 

[Nvs rao]

Kaveri is a failure. It won’t work as long as GTRE is involved.

Who told you that are you fj engine expert these kaveri miniature model working with drones and succeeded.safron given certification for this engine as approved.
intentionally this project is delaying for foreign engine suppliers for kickbacks

 

[Nvs rao]

Correct.. still we r salivating for imported platforms, still neglecting to invest in R&D in big way and still lacking the vision to partner private sector in R&D & manufacturing by incentives, assured demands & hand holding. We need atmanirbharata in a holistic manner & in a true sense

But who give kickbacks ones kaveri integrated Tejas production in full speed so unable to buy raffales, this old outdated f-404 and20 years back f-414 engines that is the reason behind all the game

 

[Nvs rao]

Most of the progress with Tejas MK1A has been made and developed in the last 10 years. Before that 30 years were wasted on doing nothing except make plans on papers.

Tejas also made by scratch to fighter jet in last 10 years hahaha

 

[Man-ju]

Assuming that HAL is professional industry and given the current volatile geopolitical situations, isn't it HAL's responsibility to keep all the spares and key components in sufficient numbers to overcome unexpected disruptions? Ironically IAF has no alternate options either. Then there are fanboys who call IAF as scrap collectors or import loving force.

 

[Man-ju]

For all you Amreeki maal lovers. Russia is not the only one that does not deliver products on time. When the time comes, even our bosom buddies and strategic partners can give you the shaft.

Let's talk about S400 and INS Chakra 3 deliveries.