On 11th September 2025, when the news broke that HAL received the third GE-404 engine for Tejas, many in India’s defence community celebrated the milestone. Yet, as a defence enthusiast, I couldn’t help but ask harder questions: why has it taken so long? Why have only three engines arrived in four years? And can India really trust its foreign partners to deliver on time?
The journey of the LCA Tejas fighter jet is about more than just aircraft. It is about sovereignty, self-reliance, and geopolitics.
HAL received the third GE-404 engine for Tejas
HAL Gets Third Engine for Tejas Mk1A: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has announced that the third GE-404 engine for the LCA Tejas Mk1A has finally arrived from the United States. With the fourth unit expected shortly, production planning at HAL is set to gain fresh momentum.
This comes under the 2021 contract worth USD 716 million, signed with General Electric (GE) for 99 GE-404 engines. These will power the 83 Tejas Mk1A jets already ordered by the Indian Air Force (IAF), with another 97 aircraft being considered for induction.
HAL has publicly outlined its Tejas Mk1A production plan: the company aims to ramp up to 30 aircraft annually by 2026-27. But this depends directly on the timely supply of GE-404 engines.
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Why the Third Delivery Matters
For the IAF, this third GE-404 engine delivery for the Tejas fighter jet is more than just another handover. It is essential for keeping production alive.
- Engines ordered: 99
- Delivered so far: 3 in four years
- Expected by year-end: 12
- Planned fleet: 352 Tejas aircraft (Mk1A + Mk2)
The numbers make one thing clear: with only three engines delivered so far, India risks falling behind its fighter jet induction plans, even as ageing MiG-21s retire.
Tejas Engine Delivery Update 2025
The Tejas engine delivery update for 2025 gives mixed signals. On the one hand, this latest delivery confirms progress. On the other hand, the painfully slow pace makes it difficult to trust the timelines.
The arrival of the third engine from the US is both symbolic and frustrating. Symbolic because it shows the programme is still active. Frustrating because the supply rate is nowhere near India’s needs.
Engines and Geopolitics
From my perspective, the supply of GE-404 engines for Tejas Mk1A is about more than manufacturing. It is about political leverage.
- The United States has little incentive to let India’s indigenous programmes mature too quickly. By slowing deliveries, it ensures HAL remains dependent.
- Washington continues its traditional balancing act by providing military equipment to Pakistan, ensuring India never secures a decisive edge.
- For GE, the arrangement is profitable. India pays, deliveries trickle in, and the US gains influence.
On 28 August, GE announced “supply issues.” Yet within a week, it delivered the third engine. Coincidence? I don’t think so. It looks more like a deliberate delay strategy than a logistics issue.
This delivery also ties into the larger picture of US-India defence relations. While both sides call each other “strategic partners,” trust often takes a back seat to politics. And despite the GE-404 record, India has signed the F414 engine deal for Tejas Mk2. The question many enthusiasts ask is: if GE struggles to deliver on time today, how can we trust them tomorrow?
Explore: Tejas Mk2 Prototype Faces 2027 Delay Crisis
Impact on Tejas Fighter Jet Induction
HAL’s Tejas Mk1A production plan outlines that:
- The first Mk1A squadron should join the IAF by 2025-26.
- Annual production capacity will scale to 30 jets by 2026-27.
But these targets are only possible if the flow of engines from the US is consistent. Every delayed shipment weakens India’s timelines and gives China and Pakistan more breathing space to upgrade their own fleets.
Related: First Tejas Mk1A Delivery: HAL Nashik Facility Receives Flight Clearance
HAL’s Reliance on US Engine Imports
For now, HAL’s imports of GE engines from the US remain the backbone of Tejas. But this dependence is also its biggest weakness. The LCA Tejas engine supply status is tied to foreign timelines, not Indian ones.
This is why indigenous propulsion is not just a dream; it is a necessity. The Kaveri Derivative Engine with afterburner under development by DRDO’s GTRE could one day give Tejas true independence. Until then, India’s air power will always carry the risk of outside influence.
You may also like: Kaveri Derivative Engine with Afterburner
A Defence Enthusiast’s View
As someone who has followed the programme for years, I see the latest Tejas engine delivery news as both progress and a reminder of vulnerability.
- On the positive side, GE delivers the third engine for Tejas, which keeps HAL’s production line running.
- On the negative side, only three engines in four years have been delivered under a 99-engine contract.
- Meanwhile, the US continues to supply Pakistan while India keeps signing bigger contracts with GE.
To me, sovereignty cannot be achieved through imports. The Tejas will only be truly independent when it is powered by an engine designed and built in India.
Conclusion: The Real Lesson
The third GE-404 engine delivery for the Tejas fighter jet is both an achievement and a warning. Achievement, because it keeps HAL’s production alive. Warning, because it shows how India’s defence timelines can be dictated from abroad.
- For readers searching for “Tejas LCA engine delivery update 2025”, the truth is that progress remains slow and politically influenced.
- For enthusiasts like me, the lesson is clear: engine technology equals sovereignty.
- For policymakers, it is a reminder that India must accelerate indigenous propulsion if it wants to break free from such dependency.
Until India powers Tejas with its own engine, every update on GE deliveries will remind us that our timelines are decided not in Bengaluru, but in Washington.