As the government tackles the delay in the LCA Mark 1A fighter jet project, the price of the deal for the LCA Mark-2 engine is likely to go up, increasing the overall cost of the project, defence ministry sources said on Monday.
The deal is being negotiated by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and the American GE to supply GE-414 engines for the LCA Mark-2 aircraft as the price of the deal is now going to rise due to cost escalation, sources told India Today.
All indigenous fighter programmes are facing delays, mainly due to engine issues.
India has plans to buy around 200 LCA Mark 1A along with the same number of LCA Mark 2 and Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft each in the next 15 years.
The Tejas Mark-1 and Mark-1A variants are powered by the off-the-shelf GE-F404 engines purchased from the US. The Air Force, in the recent past, has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with the current pace of the LCA Mark-1A programme. The first aircraft from the existing order was scheduled for delivery by March 31, 2024.
GE Aerospace, manufacturer of the F404 jet engines, earlier this year, cited supply chain issues as the main reason for the delay in supplying the engines to India.
The F404 series engines are required to produce the 83 Tejas Mark-1A jets ordered by the government under a contract worth Rs 48,000 crore signed in February 2021. HAL has reportedly assured the Air Force that it will deliver 16 LCA Mark-1A jets during the financial year 2024-25 and complete the delivery of all 83 jets by 2029.
The fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft is expected to enter production in 2035, the sources added.
The LCA Mark 2 will be an improved version of the existing LCA Tejas fighter jet. The Tejas Mark 2 is expected to be a heavier, more advanced aircraft with enhanced indigenous combat capabilities.