How HAL's "Engine-Agnostic" Approach Keeping Tejas Mk1A Production Line Humming Amidst GE Delays

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is forging ahead with production of the Tejas Mk1A light combat aircraft despite delays in the delivery of GE F-404 engines.

Facing a potential production bottleneck, HAL, under the leadership of Chairman and Managing Director Mr. D.K. Sunil, has adopted an innovative "engine-agnostic" approach to keep the Tejas Mk1A program on track.

According to a HAL official, the company is building Tejas Mk1A airframes and equipping them with Category B F-404 engines, a temporary solution that will allow for initial pre-delivery flight testing.

This strategy ensures that the aircraft are ready for final delivery to the Indian Air Force (IAF) as soon as the new GE F-404 engines arrive.

To maintain production efficiency and avoid backlogs, HAL is temporarily storing the newly built Tejas Mk1A aircraft at its facilities. This approach keeps the production line clear for new units while ensuring the aircraft are maintained in a ready-to-fly condition. Once the new F-404 engines from GE arrive in India, they will be integrated into the waiting aircraft.

HAL plans to conduct 2 to 3 pre-delivery flight tests with the IAF after installing the GE F-404 engines. These tests are crucial to ensure the aircraft meet the IAF's operational standards. Following successful testing, the Tejas Mk1A aircraft will be officially handed over to the IAF.

The delay in F-404 engine delivery, attributed to global supply chain issues, has presented a challenge, but HAL's proactive "engine-agnostic" strategy is mitigating disruption and keeping the Tejas Mk1A program on schedule.

This approach highlights HAL's commitment to meeting its delivery targets and underscores the company's growing agility in navigating complex aerospace manufacturing challenges.

 

[VedantaKiran]

Engine agnostic is a new word to gloss over the stupidity of HAL since they did not make the aircraft with engines from other countries. It would have created better leverage and also avoided impact of any delays. Furthermore during a war situation, it would have not allowed the Americans to arm twisting India.

HAL has botched the whole production due to its inability to negotiate hard with GE and has to take all the blame. One thing that HAL is consistent on is delays, mismanagement and lack of foresight for which there cannot be any parallel.

 

[Chinese eater]

America or GE will cancel GE404 Engine after delaying for many years so that Indian Tejas M1A is delayed and India comes in emergency situation and then USA is coierse India to buy F21/18/15 etc.

After 1-2 years GE will cancel GE 404 and ask India to proceed with GE 414. That will cause modification in Tejas M1A and consume so much time. America applying all means to force America 4th gen fighters on India

 

[jprabhakaran]

Time to have our own engine

 

[Nishant]

It is written HAL has taken pro active strategy, proactive when 9 months have passed and not even a single engine is delivered. So long the MRFA contract is delayed US will keep delaying the engines. Now that trump is at helm, the engines will further b delayed. He will start asking for more contracts before engines can b delivered. We will see delay in F414 engine contract as well

 

[kurtwallis wallis]

It is written HAL has taken pro active strategy, proactive when 9 months have passed and not even a single engine is delivered. So long the MRFA contract is delayed US will keep delaying the engines. Now that trump is at helm, the engines will further b delayed. He will start asking for more contracts before engines can b delivered. We will see delay in F414 engine contract as well

They will build and fly MK1A jets using only standby older used F404 engines and then kept in storage at HAL Bengaluru facility it seems so....

 

[Tailless Baboon]

What is a category B engine?

 

[COMMON INDIAN]

What about the integration of Elibit AESA radar and software related issues.
they were experiencing problems with the integration, even software upgrades as required by IAF????
are they done with those

 

[Anant]

America or GE will cancel GE404 Engine after delaying for many years so that Indian Tejas M1A is delayed and India comes in emergency situation and then USA is coierse India to buy F21/18/15 etc.

After 1-2 years GE will cancel GE 404 and ask India to proceed with GE 414. That will cause modification in Tejas M1A and consume so much time. America applying all means to force America 4th gen fighters on India

They will do nothing of the sort, as doing so will result in them losing India as an ally / friend. India is not going to be a treaty ally to them, but what you suggest will lead to India taking a distinct and subtle anti-West stance. The West knows that, and they don't want India to be against them. Hence, what you suggest won't happen. The worst case scenario is that the US will push delays a bit more.

 

[Anant]

What is a category B engine?

It's an engine that has been used on an aircraft already, and has been refurbished. Moreover, engines that have not been used on aircraft but have been in storage for a prolonged period also fall in this category.

 

[Sandeep]

It’s great that HAL is using it’s common sense by installing their backup engine until they start to receive the latest F404 variant.

I would actually go one step further. It’s better to swap and use the latest F404 engines used on the Tejas MK1 jets and install it on the Tejas MK1A jets. The Tejas MK1A jets are the latest jets and can be used on the front line straight away and it’s better than the Tejas MK1 series which doesn’t have the latest technology or capabilities compared to the Tejas MK1A jets.

 

[Mithu]

GE and Americans have huge stakes in india.For the first time they got where they always wanted to be, that is defence so that they can have control on us in times of need like kargil.Therefore Americans and GE will give everything to India and hold back few critical things for control.The delay is due to recrankning of closed line as is the case
Our planners are hell bent on ensuring that we remain hostage to Americans

 

[Muthu.Kumar]

Just wondering what would have been the reaction of the USA if India delayed like that citing "global supply chain issues"

 

[Anil Tiwari]

It's a genuine delay. Let's hope the bottle neck gets quickly resolved. It will be in India's interest to introduce American equipment into the services.

 

[Muthu.Kumar]

UNLESS AND UNTIL INDIA REVIVES KAVERI, IT WILL FACE SUCH PROBLEMS AGAIN AND AGAIN ...... AND AGAIN.

WHEN ISRO CAN CREATE ITS OWN ENGINES FOR ITS ROCKETS, WHY CAN'T DRDO/ADA ? GRANTED THEY ARE NOT APPLES-APPLES, BUT CONCEPTUALLY AND TECHNOLOGICALLY THEY SHOULD BE "MOSTLY" SIMILAR.

WHY CAN'T ISRO BE ALLOWED TO TAKE A LOOK AND OFFER ITS EXPERTISE ?

NOT SURE, WHEN INDIA WILL GET DOWN FROM THE SHOULDERS OF THE WEST AND LEARN TO HAVE AND GROW AND SPINE.

 

[Dipesh Debnath]

While waiting, can the waiting team build a new aircraft with a new engine that is available - safran or rd33 ?
can we use Saab engines? Those are 404 derivative too. I used to get anxious while waiting for delayed projects like this back in 2001, coming to office each day, having nothing to do, drink coffee and go home.

 

[RG]

Start working on plan B, with modular engine bay, with higher performance engine with more weight. Larger engine can run in detuned mode to reduce fuel consumption. This is an opportunity, Flight control laws must be tested with these capabilities. Manpower needs to be hired to run these test in parallel.