Immediately after US President Donald Trump’s attitude loose, American company GE has delivered HAL to the third aviation engine (F-404). It is believed that the fourth engine can also come to India by the end of this month. Not a single engine was supplied from the US last month (August). During that time there was tremendous sourness in relations between India and America. According to the deal, this year (2025-26), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (AHL) will get 12 out of 99 engines from GE. These engines are used for LCA Mark-1A advanced version of LCA-Tejas fighter jet. The engine delivery from the US is being delayed by about two years.

Trump praised India for the third consecutive time on Wednesday (10 September 2025) after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China (31 August-September). After Trump’s latest statement, PM Modi has also said that India and America are very good friends and natural partners. In Operation Sindoor, the relations between India and America were soured due to the denial of Trump’s mediation. Trump had imposed a 50 percent tariff, calling India a dead-economy, but Trump had to bow down to India’s policies and desire to meet Modi. It is noteworthy that despite the delay in supply of aviation engine from the US, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (AHL), the Indian Air Force is going to deliver two advance version of LCA Tejas Fighter Jet, Mark-1A.

AHL prepared ten versions of Mark-1A of LCA
AHL has prepared ten versions of LCA Mark-1A, but the supply of F-404 engine from the US GE company is continuously delayed. In such a situation, the LCA Mark-1A project is going on very late. Air Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh has publicly expressed his displeasure about this. According to the information, this month (in September) is the firing test of LCA Mark-1A. Meanwhile, indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) is to be fired from indigenous visual range missile and short range air to air missile. After this test, two LCA aircraft will be handed over to the Air Force. Although the supply of aviation engine from the US for the construction of LCA Mark-1A is running at a very dug speed, the government has given the green signal to the purchase of additional 97 indigenous fighter aircraft for the Air Force last month.

AHL agreement for Air Force
In the year 2021, the Ministry of Defense signed an agreement with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (AHL) 83 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mark-A for the Air Force. The total price of this agreement was around 48 thousand crores. For these LCA fighter aircraft, India had signed a 99 F-404 aviation engine deal with the US GE company. For the last two years, the supply of these aviation engines from America has not been properly supplied to HAL. So far, only two (02) engines have been supplied from America. The US claims that this is happening due to the disruptions of the global supply chain, but it is believed that the first conspiracy to attempt to kill Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannu and now due to the tariff war (and operation vermilion), the supply is happening very slow.

LCA project reviewed
AHL claims that the engine supply is fixed, the Air Force may supply 10 fighter aircraft by this year (March 2026). In July, Principal Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) PK Mishra himself reviewed the LCA project by visiting AHL’s facility in Bengaluru.

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