Tejas Mk-1A engine delivery delay: HAL imposes penalty on GE Aerospace, chairman says jets to return to skies next week

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has imposed penalties on GE Aerospace for delays in delivering F404-IN20 engines for the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft Mk-1A.

According to ANI, citing an official statement, and the Hindustan Times on Thursday, quoting HAL chairman and managing director DK Sunil, the penalties were imposed due to the delay in the supply of engines.

“The contract includes a provision stating that if there is a delay in the delivery of F-404 engines for the Light Combat Aircraft, liquidated damages will be imposed on GE Aviation. So the cost is being imposed as per the contract,” HAL officials said in a statement.

Tejas to fly again soon

Speaking to ANI, Sunil said the Indian Air Force's Tejas light combat jets are set to return to the skies as early as next week, after being grounded for nearly two months.

This comes after the software snag in the fighter jet’s brake system was fixed.

“We have had delays because of software coming for the radar for some issue. In the previous war, it was also down for a short time, but the plants have worked; they have supplied the equipment to us. Software upgrades also have come, albeit with delay. So, I think that is being well managed,” he told ANI.

The Tejas LCA Mk-1 fleet (the first Tejas variant) was grounded in February after one of its jets sustained damage to its airframe after it overshot the runway at the airbase following a suspected brake failure. A local modification committee has cleared the correction.

Sunil said the jets are likely to fly from April as the glitch has now been fixed.

Tejas Mk-1A delivery delay

On the delivery of the Tejas Mk-1A variant to the Indian Air Force (IAF), Sunil said HAL expects to deliver more than 20 jets by December.

The delay stems primarily from GE Aerospace missing several deadlines for supplying F-404 aero engines to power the jets. The contract to deliver 99 engines specifies includea a clause for liquidated damages, which HAL invokes every time a delay occurs.

GE Aerospace, the US firm, has delivered only six of the 99 engines ordered by HAL under a $176 million deal. The first such was delivered in March 2025.

In February 2021, the defence ministry sealed a ₹48,000-crore deal with HAL to procure 83 Tejas Mk-1A jets for the IAF. The first delivery was scheduled for March 2024, but the programme has been delayed due to engine supply issues and pending certifications.

“GE has assured us it will deliver 20 more engines by the year-end. Twenty LCA Mk-1As are ready, including five with new engines. The IAF will review the programme in May. Deliveries will begin after we complete trials of the ASRAAM (advanced short-range air-to-air missile) in the required configuration and some radar software upgrades,” Sunil told Hindustan Times.

Meanwhile, GE Aerospace has said the delays happened due to supply chain constraints, adding that it was ramping up production to fulfil the Indian order.

Sunil said that the sixth engine is expected to arrive by the end of this month, which will help push aircraft readiness.