Tejas Mark-1A Gains Momentum, Supplies to Air Force Set to Begin as Jet Engines Arrive from America

National News: The manufacturing of the indigenous light fighter aircraft Tejas Mark-1A, developed in India, is now gaining new momentum. America’s leading aviation company General Electric (GE) has begun supplying GE-404 turbofan engines for this fighter aircraft. On Monday, India received the second consignment of these engines, which is expected to remove major bottlenecks in Tejas production.

12 Engines to Be Supplied from the U.S. for Tejas

According to defense officials, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is scheduled to receive a total of 12 GE-404 engines by the end of this financial year. HAL will install these engines in the Tejas Mark-1A aircraft being produced for the Indian Air Force (IAF). Notably, the IAF has already placed an order for 83 Tejas Mark-1A fighter aircraft with HAL.

Air Force in Urgent Need of New Fighter Jets

The Indian Air Force is in critical need of modern indigenous fighter jets to replace its aging fleet. Both former Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari and current Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh have expressed concerns about delays in Tejas delivery on multiple occasions. The Air Force plans to deploy Tejas aircraft to replace the outdated MiG-21s and other aging platforms. However, due to production delays at HAL and disruptions in engine supply, the project has fallen behind schedule.

Production to Accelerate, Deliveries Expected Soon

HAL had acknowledged the Air Force's concerns and identified engine supply delays as the primary cause. Now that HAL has received the first two units of the GE-404 engine from the U.S., and with 10 more expected by year-end, the first batch of Tejas Mark-1A jets is likely to be delivered to the Air Force soon.

Positive Signal for Indigenous Defense Industry

The ramped-up production of Tejas Mark-1A will not only boost India's air power but also give a significant push to the Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives. HAL officials have affirmed their readiness to begin deliveries within the stipulated timeline. This entire process marks a major step toward making India’s indigenous defense manufacturing globally competitive. Furthermore, talks between HAL and GE for the local manufacturing of the more advanced GE-414 engine for future Tejas variants are also gaining traction.