The public sentiment regarding the Tejas Fighter Jet Engine Deal is largely negative, characterized by distrust in foreign collaborations, especially with the US, and frustration over India's reliance on foreign technology. Despite some pride in India's defense capabilities, there is a strong desire for the development of indigenous solutions and accountability from HAL, reflecting deep concerns about delivery delays and inefficiencies.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)

General Electric (GE)

Government of India

Good for India. The plane looks a lot like the Mirage 2000.

qwertyqyle

Seems like India is making substantial progress on its indigenous defense industry. My concern for this deal, however, is that the engines are the only part that isn't being made in India, correct? And GE has already been delaying engine deliveries to them, so what makes them confident that these jets will avoid the same delay by GE?

New_Relative_1871

very good to hear just hope it wont catch the heat of corruption like other gov sector

fazle321

Deliveries starting in 2027 ?

Does it seem realistic ?

Artyparis

[deleted]

Murky-Ninja-9972

kraK000M

stinky_sardine

FifthWaveThinker

PiccoloFlimsy6082


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You typically hear about similar issues in cognizant/tcs post client handover 😂

VisibleDonut69

It may take longer than October but I don’t think this is a major setback. Shouldn’t be a big issue.

GodsWorth01

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/new-lca-deal-after-first-jets-delivered-101757961231857.html

An informative article

&gt; GE Aerospace has so far supplied **three of the 99 engines** on order, it will deliver **seven more by December**, and another 20 units are expected next year as the US firm has fixed supply chain bottlenecks. [for the earlier order of 83]

So GE has quietly delivered the 3rd engine which was due in August. And will ramp up

&gt; Two LCA Mk-1As on Monday began crucial weapon trials involving the ASRAAM (advanced short-range air-to-air missile) at a firing range in the country’s eastern sector. These trials will be followed by the Astra beyond visual range air-to-air (BVRAAR) firing, which has to be cleared by the CEMILAC’s (Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification) safety review board.

So it's not the gun firing or just the gun firing, it's the far more crucial **missile certification**. And the trials involve both ASRAAM and Astra and have already begun.

&gt; Astra was fired from an LCA Mk-1A in March but **the [Astra] test wasn’t successful**

I think it's the first public statement that the March test was a failure. And caused DRDL to have to modify the software.  And this has clearly been a big cause of the delays otherwise the 2 Mk1A Tejas would have been delivered by now

&gt; “The missile integration with the aircraft is [done]. The aerodynamic studies, the signalling to the missile... all that is done. The safety review board has to clear the missile software changes made by the Hyderabad-based Defence Research and Development Laboratory. 

&gt; But the new trainer version will be different, Sunil said. The 10 trainer aircraft under the 2021 contract are of LCA Mk-1 standard, while **the 29 trainers under the new [97] deal will be of LCA MK-1A standard and equipped with Uttam AESA** ... radar and a modern electronic warfare suite, he added.

As expected, the 2021 deal has 10 trainers with Elta 2032 radars, But the 97 deal will have **68 single seaters and 29 twin seat** uttam radar equipped fighters. 

&gt;  **Ten LCA MK-1As are ready (two with new engines**) and we have 24 fuselages in different stages on the shop floor.

Bodes well...Since GE has delivered 3rd engine and will be delivering 7 more by December, that means that HAL will be in good shape to deliver 10 by early 2027.

Also the new deal for 97 will be signed hopefully in October only after HAL delivers Tejas Mk1A 

This will allow trigger of other contracts including GE engine deal..

&gt; referring to the $1 billion deal with US firm GE Aerospace for 113 F404-IN20 engines to power the new fighter jets. 

They are hoping to get more than 20 engine per year beyond 2027.

[Note : HAL capacity is 24 and HAL suppliers also have constraints. Earlier comment about GE supply chain bottlenecks also applies. Wait and watch for schedule and ramp up.]

&gt; Every global firm has been wrestling with supply chain issues. The manufacturers are the same guys, and everybody is going to GE Aerospace, Honeywell and Safran.

barath_s

In hindsight, India could have consolidated the Rafale and Tejas engine deals into a broader Safran-HAL strategic partnership, similar to the BrahMos model with Russia, to accelerate propulsion advancements. Ironically, this hesitation resulted in India losing over a decade of learning curve, the very decade China spent catching up with the WS-10.

India’s GTRE (Gas Turbine Research Establishment) has specifically struggled with metallurgy, turbine-blade coatings, and high-temperature material science for the Kaveri program.

Despite multiple discussions, notably between 2016 and 2019, talks with Safran stalled primarily due to:
- Cost concerns: France demanded €1 billion+ for a co-development program.
- Intellectual property rights: France wanted shared or restricted IP, not full Indian ownership.
- Bureaucratic indecision: DRDO wanted to retain “indigenous” credit.

The F414 “80% tech transfer” appears promising, but the missing 20% (blade technology, including turbine blades, single-crystal alloys, and ceramic matrix composites) is the core of an advanced jet engine. While the rest can be machined, without the necessary metallurgical expertise, India will never truly achieve indigenization.

France is one of the few Western countries that has repeatedly shown willingness to share high-end defense technology (nuclear submarines, radar systems, missile seekers, etc.) when others wouldn’t. It comes at a cost but India can afford cost unlike in the past, government agencies should swallow pride and rgo and do what’s best for the country in the long term

sf_warriors

There's no technological capability to produce or work on the propulsion tech in India, there aren't skilled people in that field. Everyone in college wants to do coding and nothing else.
I remember one high ranking military official pointing out the inefficiencies of HAL to build a proper engine since the last 2-3 decades.

Inj3kt0r

Here's my two cents and bashing of GTRE: There is less political will, I think. 
GTRE can hire PhD holders from all over the world who are in the metallurgy field esp in the single crystal area. It's a long marathon, but it will eventually pay off. 
When I applied for an internship at GTRE for my bachelor thesis (topic was gas turbines), I was rejected citing I didn't have any blood relatives working in GTRE. Also, Indian enterprises are really bad at social engineering.

SentientAmino

Nobody is going to let go of their IP which they have developed spending millions of dollars. France will also not provide full technology transfer. Not sure when will India learn. They have ZERO leverage on these countries and will have to play by their rules. Look India needs France and not the other way round. France gives a damn as they don't need anyone cooperation.

vikeng_gdg

There are talks of Rafale assembly in India.

mayudhon

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) has signed a $1 billion agreement with GE Aerospace for jet engines to support its Tejas light combat aircraft program, crucial for India's military readiness amid regional threats.

Tejas Fighter Jet Engine Deal

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