Delayed engines slow down Tejas Mk1A project. When will GE deliver them?

MoD says no proposal under consideration to impose a penalty on American engine maker GE Aerospace for delay in engine deliveries

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THIS REPORT HAS BEEN UPDATED    GE Aerospace has informed the government that it will commence delivery of F404-IN20 engines for the indigenous fighter aircraft Tejas Mk1A by April 2025, two years behind schedule, ThePrint reported on Tuesday.

 

The American engine maker was originally slated to start the engine deliveries in 2023, with the report revealing that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh raised the issue of delay during their recent visits to the United States (US).

 

A report from August said that the Indian Air Force (IAF) had expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of the LCA Mk1A programme. While the first aircraft was initially scheduled for delivery by March 31, 2024, the report had said that Tejas manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) had projected delivery for November 2024.

 

 

By August, the delivery of the F404 engines from GE Aerospace had already been delayed by over a year, reportedly due to supply chain issues. Citing government sources, ThePrint report said that GE was supposed to start delivering the engines in March 2023. GE has now promised to start the deliveries by April 2025.

 

The IAF has been concerned about potential risks to its combat readiness due to the delay in Tejas delivery, reportedly prompting officials to urge HAL to expedite the programme. The Tejas Mk1A is an advanced variant of the already operational Tejas Mk1.

 

When asked by ThePrint whether India will impose a penalty clause on GE for late delivery of engines, sources said that the procurement contract will be implemented in full.

 

  Earlier, when asked whether the penalty clause will be imposed, the sources had told the news portal that "all contract obligations" would be "met and implemented". As noted by the report, a penalty clause for delay in delivery is common in commercial procurement contracts. However, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Tuesday evening clarified, "It has been noted that some media organisations have carried a story that India plans to impose penalties on GE for delay in delivery of Tejas engines. Story is factually incorrect as there was no such proposal under consideration. The contract is between HAL and GE." ThePrint report also noted that queries on whether a penalty has been imposed on GE by the MoD through HAL, the state-run entity that is the contracting agency with the engine maker, or whether the contract did not include a penalty clause remained unanswered at the time of publishing. Earlier on Tuesday, ThePrint reported that the penalty clause had already been implemented against GE by India. 

Is the engine delay a US 'pressure tactic'?

Government sources told the news portal that GE's delay in deliveries was not part of any US "pressure tactics". Instead, they explained, a South Korean firm, which GE has a tie-up with, has not been able to deliver certain engine components because of financial issues. As a solution, one source reportedly said that the government has told GE to provide India with the transfer of technology for these components so that they can be made here. 

When will the Tejas Mk1A be delivered?

For the delay in delivery of the Tejas jets, the sources blamed GE's failure to deliver the engines. Citing them, the report explained that HAL, which can deliver about five-six aircraft at present, will by next year have a capacity to manufacture 24, but "it all depends" on GE delivering the engines. However, when asked why the IAF has not received a single Tejas Mk1A aircraft yet, defending HAL, the sources told the news portal that a foreign company has delayed the deliveries, adding that Israel, which is caught up in the escalating West Asia (Middle East) conflict, had failed to integrate the radar in time. The Tejas delivery will start once the trials of the aircraft, which are taking place now, are completed, they added. The first Tejas Mk1A series aircraft, designated LA 5033, took to the skies in March. However, it did not fly with a new engine, and instead employed what the report called a Category-B engine, which is a reserve machine from an earlier deal with GE.