India Procures 113 F404‑GE‑IN20 Engines in $1 Billion HAL Deal for Tejas Fighter Jets

On 7 November 2025, India’s state‑run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) signed a contract worth around US$1 billion with GE Aerospace (a unit of General Electric Company) for the supply of 113 F404‑GE‑IN20 engines for the indigenous single-engine multi-role fighter Tejas Mk‑1A light combat aircraft (LCA) program.

The contract is intended to power HAL’s production of 97 Tejas Mk‑1A aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF) and includes an associated support‑package; deliveries are scheduled from 2027 through 2032.

Tejas: Specifications

Specification	Value
Length	13.2 m (1,320 cm / 43 ft 4 in)
Width (Wingspan)	8.2 m (820 cm / 26 ft 11 in)
Height	4.4 m (440 cm / 14 ft 5 in)
Maximum Takeoff Mass	13,500 kg (13.5 t / 29,762 lbs)
Power Plant	GE 404F2/J-IN20 Turbofan Engine (1 unit, General Electric)
Maximum Thrust	5,618 kgf (55.1 kN / 12,400 lbf)
Engine Thrust (A/B)	85 kN (19,100 lbf)
Maximum Speed	Mach 1.6 (≈ 1,975 km/h / 1,227 mph at altitude)
Service Ceiling	50,000 ft (15,240 m)
G Limits	+8g / -3.5g
Hardpoints	9

Nature of HAL’s $1 billion Engine Supply Agreement

Officials were quoted in The Economic Times to have said that delivery of the F404-GE-IN20 engines “will begin from 2027, and the supplies will have to be completed by 2032“. The deal value is commonly cited at about US$1 billion, which when translated into Indian currency becomes ₹8,870 crore.

The deal has been finalized at a time when it feels as if the geopolitical tensions are at an all-time high, with India and China being at the receiving end of strong tariffs under Donald Trump, the president of the USA and after whom the Palm Beach International Airport might be renamed. The procurement of the deal also comes only a few weeks after it was revealed that India had gone past China in the WDMMA rankings. only to be placed behind Russia and the United States.

India Inches Past China in Modern Military Aircraft Rankings

Reuters reported that the F404‑GE‑IN20 engine – a variant of GE’s F404 turbofan optimized for the Tejas‑Mk‑1A airframe – was important for India because of China’s increasing support for Pakistan:

“India’s relations with the U.S. had soured after President Donald Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50% in August as punishment for New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil, which led New Delhi to pause purchases of U.S. defence equipment. Trump said last month that he planned to reach a trade deal with India, and on Thursday told reporters in Washington that trade talks were going well, and he could visit India next year.”

The rollout of the Tejas fighter, which falls under the aegis of the Aatmanirbhar Bhaarat (a self-sufficient India), was delayed due to slow deliveries 99 engines ordered from GE in 2021. GE has pointed at the supply chain issues following COVID-19 as the main reason behind the delay and been able to only deliver four engines so far.

Why this deal matters for the Indian Air Force?

It has been said that the IAF continues to face a shortfall in fighter squadrons: it is officially down to 31 against a target of 42. The following table gives us an idea about Indian Air Forces’ capabilities, as reported by World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft (WDMMA):

Category	India (Units)
Combat/Attack	542
General Support	800
Pilot/Crew Training	374
Future Procurement	349
Aircraft available at 50% readiness rate	858
Aircraft available at 70% readiness rate	1,201
Aircraft available at 75% readiness rate	1,287
Aircraft available at 80% readiness rate	1,373

Indian Air Force Inventory Details

the tables below give us an idea about the various aircraft types operated by the Indian Air Force.

Combat Aircraft operated by the Indian Air Force

Orders:

• Tejas: 187 units

Helicopter that can fly to the top of Everest to be manufactured in India

Helicopters operated by the Indian Air Force

Orders:

• Prachanda LCH: 121 units

Transport Aircraft operated by the Indian Air Force

Orders:

• C295: 49 units

Training Aircraft operated by the Indian Air Force

Orders:

• HTT-40: 106 units

Special Aircraft operated by the Indian Air Force

Orders:

• None

Source: globalmilitary.net

Background: the Tejas program and the GE engines it requires

The Tejas is the indigenous light combat aircraft developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and built by HAL. The first flight of the earliest Tejas variant took place in 2001; the Indian Air Force inducted the trainer variant in 2016. The different versions of Tejas under production are:

A variant known as LCA Mk1A is the most advanced version of the LCA Tejas jets. It is equipped with technologies such as Advanced Radio Altimeter, AESA Radar, Combined Interrogator and Transponder (CIT), Digital Map Generator (DMG), EW suite consisting of radar warning and self-protection jamming, and Smart Multi-function Displays (SMFD). 

The Mk‑1A variant, on the other hand, is an upgraded version with:

• greater indigenous content
• an AESA radar
• improved weapons integration

The new engine variant (F404‑GE‑IN20) is critical to unlocking production and performance. The engine in question, the F404-GE IN20 is of the F404 engine family powers a wide range of aircraft, from low-level attack jets to high-altitude interceptors. It was first developed for the Boeing F/A-18 Hornet.

Ever since, the versatility of the F404 has allowed adaptations for stealth and advanced trainer aircraft such as the one in the following:

• F/A-18 Hornet – Original combat-proven variant.

• F-117A Stealth Fighter & Singapore A4-SU Super Skyhawk – Non-afterburning derivatives for specialized missions.

• F404-GE-102 – Korean T-50 advanced trainer/light fighter, licensed production via Samsung Tech.

• F404/RM12 – Powers Saab Gripen with FADEC and single-engine safety.

• F404-GE-402 – Enhanced power and efficiency for F/A-18C/D Hornet.

• F404-GE-103 – Latest derivative for Boeing T-7A Red Hawk advanced trainer.

According to GE Aerospace, the F404-GE-IN20 engine – 113 of which will be acquired by the HAL for $1 billion – “is an enhanced production version of the F404, which is successfully powering India’s Light Combat Aircraft MKI“:

“The highest thrust variant of the F404 family, the F404-GE IN20 incorporates GE’s latest hot section materials and technologies, as well as a FADEC for reliable power and outstanding operational characteristics Deliveries of the Mk‑1A were initially due from February 2024, but supply‑chain and engine‑availability issues delayed the programme, creating urgency for the new engine contract.”

Here’s a look at the specifications of the F404-GE-IN20 engine:

Specification	SI‑IN20
Thrust class	19,000 lb / 84 kN
Length	154 in / 391 cm
Airflow	153 lb/sec / 70 kg/sec
Maximum diameter	35 in / 89 cm
Inlet diameter	28 in / 71 cm
Pressure ratio	28:1
Weight	2,365 lb / 1,072 kg

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Previous Similar Procurement events of the Indian Air Force (IAF)

Here is a comparison of prior defence aircraft/engine procurement events relevant to this deal:

All in All

By securing a US$1 billion engine contract with GE Aerospace for 113 F404‑GE‑IN20 engines, HAL has paved a critical path for the Tejas Mk‑1A program at a time when there were serious questions about India’s indigenous aerospace ambitions following doubts about its strategic partnership with the U.S.

It is said that the deliveries will commence in 2027 but the success of this accord will depend on timely execution, production ramp‑up and the evolution fo the supply-chain market that GE has dealt with. Things might be optimistic because Embraer had claimed that its supply chain problems, at least for now, were non-existent.