Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has signed an agreement with General Electric Company, USA, on 7 November 2025 for the supply of 113 F404-GE-IN20 engines and a related support package. The engines will power the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk1A for which HAL received an order for 97 units in September 2025.
Deliveries of the engines are scheduled between 2027 and 2032. The agreement marks a continuation of HAL’s collaboration with General Electric, which previously supplied engines for earlier variants of the LCA Tejas aircraft.
GE states that its F404-IN20 variant incorporates enhanced hot-section materials, a high-flow fan, and a Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) system, tailored for the Indian context.
The LCA Mk1A programme, developed under India’s indigenous fighter aircraft initiative, is intended to enhance the operational capability of the Indian Air Force (IAF) with advanced avionics, improved radar, and upgraded electronic warfare systems. The aircraft are to be produced at HAL’s Bengaluru facilities.
The deal builds on a long-standing collaboration between HAL and GE. HAL previously placed an order — valued at USD 716 million — for 99 F404-GE-IN20 engines from GE in 2021.
HAL, a public sector aerospace and defence company headquartered in Bengaluru, designs, manufactures, and maintains aircraft, helicopters, engines, and related systems for the Indian armed forces and export markets.