HAL Gets Second GE F404-IN20 Engine For Tejas Mk 1A— All About Most Powerful F404 Variant Set To Power India's Indigenous Fighter Fleet

In a key milestone for the indigenous fighter jet programme, India has received the second GE F404-IN20 engine from the United States for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk 1A.

The delivery to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the maker of Tejas MK 1A, marks another step in powering the first batch of 83 Mk 1A jets ordered by the Indian Air Force.

Twelve more engines are expected to be received by HAL by the end of this financial year.

The F404-IN20 is the highest-thrust and most advanced variant of GE’s globally-proven F404 turbofan family.

Rated at 19,000 pounds (84 kN) of thrust, the IN20 brings a 28:1 pressure ratio and an airflow of 70 kg/sec—superior to any earlier F404 models.

It incorporates GE’s latest hot-section materials and advanced turbine technologies, improving not just performance but durability in Indian operational conditions.

The engine is fitted with Full Authority Digital Electronic Control (FADEC), providing precise thrust management, faster response times, and easier diagnostics—key for high-tempo missions.

Compared to the baseline F404-GE-402 used on F/A-18C/D Hornets and other variants like the F404-GE-102 on Korea’s T-50 trainers, the IN20 offers better thrust-to-weight, fuel efficiency, and mission reliability—all in a compact 1,072 kg package.

Originally developed to power frontline fighters and trainers globally, the F404 engine family has been adapted into multiple configurations: from the non-afterburning F-117A stealth aircraft to Sweden’s Saab Gripen and Boeing’s T-7A Red Hawk trainer.

The IN20, however, has been customised for the Tejas Mk 1 and Mk 1A platforms.

India had received the first of 99 such engines from GE Aerospace earlier this year, after delays over months due to supply chain disruptions.

HAL reportedly aims to integrate the engines into Mk 1A airframes and deliver over 10 aircraft to the IAF in the near term.

With a proposal to acquire 97 additional Mk 1A jets already cleared by the Defence Ministry, the total fleet powered by the IN20 may exceed 180 aircraft. Over 400 Tejas fighters across variants are planned in the coming decade.

The LCA Mk 2, designed to replace Mirage 2000s, Jaguars and MiG-29s by 2035, will also be powered by a higher-thrust GE engine—likely the F414, which builds on the same design lineage. Over ₹9,000 crore has been sanctioned for the Mk 2 programme.

To support long-term indigenisation, a Transfer of Technology (ToT) deal with GE was signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US in 2023, paving the way for local manufacturing of the F404-IN20 and its successors within India.

With the Tejas poised to become the Indian Air Force’s largest fighter fleet, the F404-IN20 will remain at the core of India’s frontline airpower for the foreseeable future.

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