LCA Mk-1A engine supplies from US stabilise, will help HAL meet delivery targets

THe furnish of F404-IN20 engines for the young illuminate armed combat aircraft (LCA Mk-1A) by US business firm GE Aerospace appears to be stabilising, and if the momentum sustains, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited will be able to meet its delivery targets to boost the air force’s combat effectiveness, senior officials said on Thursday.The third of 99 F404-IN20 engines ordered by HAL from the US reached its LCA Mk-1A production facility in Bengaluru on Thursday , with the fourth expected to arrive by September-end followed by six more during October-December, allowing the state-run aircraft maker to deliver 10 Mk-1As in the financial year 2025-26, the officials said.The development comes at a time when backchannel talks continue between the US and India to get bilateral relations back on track after a trade row. The LCA Mk-1A programme, crucial for the Indian Air Force (IAF) to shore up its fleet, is running behind schedule due to several reasons, including delay in the supply of engines by the US. These engines are meant for the 83 Mk-1As ordered by the government for ₹48,000 crore in February 2021.As three LCA Mk-1As are ready with the engines supplied thus far, HAL is targeting first deliveries of the fighter aircraft to the IAF in October after carrying out crucial weapon tests over the next few weeks, said one of the officials cited above.“We are planning to carry out ASRAAM (advanced short-range air-to-air missile) firing from the Mk-1A this week. This will be followed by trials of the Astra beyond visual range air-to-air missile. The first deliveries will happen after the completion of these tests,” said a second official.While ASRAAM made by European missile maker MBDA has been cleared for firing, the CEMILAC’s (Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification) safety review board still has to give clearance for the Astra firing, HT has learnt. It is expected shortly.“The plan is to deliver 10 LCA Mk-1As to the IAF this financial year and the future delivery schedule will hinge on the supply of engines. We have nine aircraft ready (three fitted with the F404-IN20 engines, six awaiting the new engines). If engine supplies are there, HAL has a production capacity of 24 Mk-1As every year,” said the first official. GE Aerospace is expected to deliver 20 more engines next year.The IAF has been concerned about the pace of the Mk-1A programme because of the possible risks a delay in the induction of new fighters could pose to its operational readiness.The first Mk-1 aircraft was to be delivered to the IAF by March 31, 2024, but that didn’t happen due to a combination of factors, including GE Aerospace’s inability to supply the F404-IN20 engines on time and delays in some key certifications. The US firm had to restart the engine production line and re-engage the global supply chain after India placed the order for 99 engines in 2021.The LCA Mk-1As will replace the IAF’s MiG-21 fighter jets. The IAF, the world’s fourth largest, is set to retire the last of its iconic MiG-21s on September 26, bringing the curtain down on a 62-year journey.In August, the Cabinet Committee on Security, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, cleared a ₹66,000-crore deal to buy 97 more LCA Mk-1As from HAL to boost the air force’s capabilities. HAL is set to sign a contract with GE Aerospace for an additional 113 engines to power the 97 aircraft likely to be ordered soon.The air force is grappling with a shortage of fighter jets and operates around 30 fighter squadrons compared to an authorised 42.5. Quicker induction of fighter jets, mid-air refuellers and airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) systems tops the recommendations made by an empowered committee for capability enhancement of the IAF.Defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, who chaired the committee, submitted the report classified as “secret” to defence minister Rajnath Singh in March, days after chief of the air staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh admitted that the air force was “very badly off in numbers”, adding that it must induct 40 fighter jets every year to stay combat-ready.