The delivery of GE Aerospace’s F404-IN20 engines to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) marks a critical turning point for the TEJAS MK-1A program, which has struggled to maintain schedule fidelity due to delays in engine supply and certification bottlenecks. The third engine from the 99 ordered in 2021 has now reached HAL’s Bangalore production complex, with the fourth set to arrive by the end of September and six more expected during the October–December quarter.

This delivery rhythm suggests increasing momentum in stabilising engine supplies from the United States, which, if sustained, could allow HAL to finally adhere to its target of producing and delivering 10 MK-1As in the current financial year (2025-26).

HAL currently has nine fighters structurally complete, three of which are already integrated with supplied engines, while six airframes await incoming power-plants. Officials indicate that based on present inventory, HAL is preparing to deliver the first two TEJAS MK-1As to the Indian Air Force (IAF) in October, as long as the final rounds of weapon trials—including ASRAAM firings and Astra beyond-visual-range missile integration checks—are certified in time by CEMILAC.

A fourth is due to reach India before the end of September and six more are scheduled to follow in the October–December 2025 quarter. This pipeline gives HAL the engines it needs to integrate with a batch of already completed airframes, three of which are awaiting weapon trials before delivery.

The timing of these deliveries is strategically significant. The IAF is at a crucial operational juncture with the last of the MiG-21 Bison fleet being retired on 26 September 2025, ending a 62-year service history of the Soviet-origin legacy platform.

The TEJAS MK-1A is expected to backfill some of this gap, though its delayed induction has heightened concerns about squadron strength. The IAF currently operates around 30 combat squadrons against an authorised figure of 42.5, leaving it well short of its combat readiness mandate.

Senior defence planners, including the defence secretary-led empowered committee, concluded earlier this year that the IAF needs to induct approximately 40 fighters annually to maintain a robust posture, a rate far beyond current delivery capacity.

HAL’s stated production ceiling for the TEJAS MK-1A is 24 aircraft per year, contingent on unhindered engine inflows from GE. Given that GE is expected to send 20 additional engines in 2026, production throughput could be maintained provided the US supply chain—stressed earlier by order restarts and global resource constraints—remains consistent.

The future delivery trajectory, however, hinges directly on GE Aerospace’s ability to sustain this resurgent supply rhythm without slippage. HAL officials have confirmed that the company is aiming to hand over two MK-1As in October, paving the way for a total of 10 handovers in the 2025–26 financial year, provided upcoming trials are successful and the supply of engines continues at this pace.

The MK-1A program, sanctioned in February 2021 with an order of 83 aircraft at a cost of ₹48,000 crore, has been subject to delays linked to certification hurdles and the late delivery of F404 engines. GE had to restart its production line and re-establish its global supply chain to meet India’s order since the F404 series had already been phased down in favour of newer F414 production.

This disrupted the original delivery schedule, which had earmarked the first MK-1A aircraft for handover by March 2024. Consequently, HAL’s production line, though capable of 24 units annually, has been idling with six nearly complete fighters waiting for engine integration.

With three already fitted and undergoing tests, HAL is keen to demonstrate the platform’s upgraded combat performance, including integration of new weapon systems such as MBDA’s ASRAAM short-range missile and DRDO’s Astra beyond-visual-range missile.

ASRAAM firings are expected in the immediate term, while final safety certification for Astra firings from CEMILAC is still under review but anticipated soon.

This phase of testing is critical because HAL and IAF have jointly agreed that no MK-1A fighter will be delivered without validated weapon integration, as the credibility of the upgrade package hinges on its demonstrated ability to employ both imported and indigenous missiles effectively.

Thus, the delivery of two aircraft in October depends on flawless execution of these firings. HAL has stated that nine MK-1As are structurally ready, with three already integrated with engines and six more awaiting the next batches. If GE Aerospace continues engine shipments at the revised tempo—20 more engines are expected through next year—HAL projects it can deliver at least 10 jets in FY26 and progressively scale up.

For the IAF, receiving the MK-1A comes at a crucial juncture. The service retired its last MiG-21s on September 26, closing out six decades of service of the type and leaving a gap in squadron strength at a time when only 30 fighter squadrons are active against an authorised strength of 42.5.

The shortfall has been repeatedly flagged by the Air Chief and the Defence Ministry’s own committee on force enhancement, which in March recommended an accelerated induction of at least 40 fighters per year alongside critical enablers like mid-air refuelers and airborne early warning-control aircraft.

In August, the Cabinet Committee on Security cleared a fresh ₹66,000-crore deal for an additional 97 TEJAS MK-1As, which will require HAL to secure another 113 F404-IN20 engines from GE Aerospace. This sharp expansion could lock HAL into a sustained production run through the mid-2030s, but its near-term credibility in scaling up hinges on whether it can escape the serial delays that stalled this first batch.

Officials within HAL and the Ministry of Defence have signalled cautious optimism. The supply of engines—earlier the single largest bottleneck—is now showing signs of recovery, as indicated by the sequential deliveries of the third and fourth units this month.

Furthermore, HAL’s experience with serial production of MK-1 variant Tejas fighters, alongside the gradual maturing of its ecosystem of suppliers, should in theory enable smoother induction once engine flows are predictable. The crucial factor over the next two months remains the timely completion of weapon trials.

Failure to certify the Astra BVR tests on time, or further slips in F404 shipment schedules, could push October’s target into the following quarter, once again eroding the confidence of the IAF, which is under severe pressure to restore combat readiness.

The delivery of two TEJAS MK-1As to the IAF in October 2025 is possible and being actively targeted by HAL. The combination of three aircraft already fitted with engines, the expected arrival of new engines to equip additional units, and near-term missile firings signal steady progress.

However, the deliveries are conditional on two critical factors: flawless completion of ASRAAM and Astra test firings for CEMILAC certification, and consistent F404-IN20 engine deliveries from GE Aerospace.

If both align without disruption, HAL will finally hand over the first MK-1As to the IAF—over a year later than planned, but still in time to signal momentum for ramped-up production in 2026.

IDN (With Agency Inputs)