HAL signs $1-billion deal with GE for 113 engines to power LCA Mk1A fleet
With this agreement, the total number of F404 engines ordered from GE for the LCA Mk1A programme rises to 212 — comprising 99 engines contracted in 2021 for 83 aircraft and the latest 113 engines for 97 aircraft
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ANI
In a major boost to India’s indigenous fighter jet programme, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) on Friday signed a major contract with General Electric (GE), USA, for the supply of 113 F404-GE-IN20 engines and associated support packages to power the next batch of 97 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk1A.
The deal, valued at around $1 billion or ₹8,868 crore, marks a significant step forward in HAL’s ongoing efforts to strengthen India’s self-reliance in defence production, sources familiar with the contract said. Top representatives from HAL, including CMD DK Sunil, and GE were present at the time of signing of the contract.
Production Boost
With this agreement, the total number of F404 engines ordered from GE for the LCA Mk1A programme rises to 212 — comprising 99 engines contracted in 2021 for 83 aircraft and the latest 113 engines for 97 aircraft. The remaining 32 engines will be used for testing, maintenance and other operational requirements.
Deliveries under the latest contract will commence in 2027 and continue through 2032, aligning with the production schedule of the new LCA Mk1A fighters, HAL posted on X.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) had, on September 25, signed a ₹62,370-crore contract with HAL for the procurement of 97 LCA Mk1A aircraft — including 68 single-seaters and 29 twin-seaters — for the Indian Air Force (IAF). Deliveries are scheduled to start in 2027–28 and conclude within six years.
Homegrown Systems
The new aircraft will feature an indigenous content of over 64 per cent, incorporating 67 additional locally developed components compared to the earlier Mk1A batch contracted in January 2021. Key upgrades include integration of UTTAM Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar, Swayam Raksha Kavach electronic warfare suite, and indigenous control surface actuators, reinforcing the government’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) initiative.
In 2021, HAL had signed a $716 million contract with GE Aerospace for 99 F404-IN20 engines to power the first batch of LCA Mk1A fighters. While engine deliveries were delayed due to global supply chain disruptions, the first units were delivered in 2025, with 12 engines expected to be supplied by the end of the current financial year.
HAL received the fourth engine last month, but the acquisition of the aircraft into the IAF is further delayed due to weapon and other integration challenges.
The LCA Mk1A, the most advanced variant of India’s indigenously designed fighter aircraft, is expected to serve as a key operational platform for the IAF in the coming decade, combining enhanced combat capability with reduced maintenance costs and improved reliability.
Separately, HAL and GE are nearing the conclusion of talks to jointly manufacture GE F414 engines in India, with an 80 per cent transfer of technology, to power India’s upcoming LCA Mk2 and fifth generation AMCA fighter aircraft. The contract is likely to be inked early next year.
Published on November 7, 2025
