Military Viewpoint
POWERING THE LCA TEJAS MK 1A The deal for 100 GE F404 engines would help further strengthen ties between India and the US especially after the latter has declared India to be its major defence partner
Photographs: SP Guide Pubns, GE Aviation
By Air Marshal B.K. Pandey (Retd)
india’s indigenous aircraft lca tejas mk 1A with ge f404 engine
PROCUREMENT OF GE F404 ENGINES FROM THE US At the end of the second week of July this year, the Indian media carried the news that the nation was close to signing a deal with the United States (US) valued at $700 million for the purchase of 100 General Electric F404 (GE F404) engines to power the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk 1A fighter jets that have been designed and developed by the Indian aerospace industry. The
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ISSUE 10 • 2021
LCA Tejas Mk 1A is a single-engine, 4.5 generation, single seat, multirole fighter aircraft that is currently being manufactured in the country by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the Indian aerospace major in the public sector. The engine maker General Electric Company on the other hand, is a multinational conglomerate in the US. The GE F404 engine was selected by the Indian aerospace industry to power the LCA Tejas Mk 1
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