India signs deal with GE for LCA engines
HAL signed a $716 million contract with GE Aviation for 99 F404-GE-IN20 engines for the Tejas fighter. (Gordon Arthur)
India will import GE engines for upcoming LCA Mk1A fighters, but still plans to domestically assemble them for the Mk2.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) signed a $716 million contract with GE Aviation on 17 August for 99 F404-GE-IN20 engines and support services to power the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk1A.
This is a turnaround from a selection made 11 years ago for 99 higher-thrust F414-GE-INS6 engines to power the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Mk2 version of the LCA.
Repeated delays getting the Mk2 off the ground led the IAF to order 83 Mk1A fighters in the interim. This will keep HAL’s factories busy until the Mk2 version emerges and fill gaps in the IAF inventory. Next year, HAL will deliver ten
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