US based General Electric (GE) has announced that it signed a contract with the Indian Air Force (IAF) to establish a repair center for its F-404-IN20 jet engines that power the HAL Tejas. The, yet to be set up, facility will reduce the need to depend on repair centers abroad. This will significantly reduce the turnaround times and improve the availability of the fighter aircraft. The upcoming facility will be set up with the help of General Electric, which will provide technical inputs. The facility will be owned, operated and maintained by the Indian Air Force. GE will assist by providing technical inputs, specialized equipment, training, spare parts and support personnel.The announcement comes just days after Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) released a picture with eighteen complete Tejas airframes, while only five of these aircraft have received engines. HAL had signed a contract with GE for the first batch of 99 engines for the first order of HAL Tejas Mk 1A aircraft. These engines were supposed to be delivered to HAL from 2024 onwards. GE has not been able to deliver these engines, the American engine-maker had promised to deliver eleven engines in the last financial year.HAL Chairman DK Sunil had said earlier this month that the American firm was planning to send as many as twenty F404-IN20 by the end of this calendar year. If delivered this would increase the number of jet engines available to HAL to 25. Times Of India had earlier reported that the Indian Air Force was not accepting the five aircraft which have received engines after a review of the project in May. The IAF has said that they will accept the aircraft only after getting all the contracted capabilities. Times Now reported that IAF has given some exemptions to HAL.The IAF is currently facing a fighter aircraft shortage. The force is authorized 42 fighter squadrons, but this number has come down to 29. The air force currently has on order 180 Tejas Mk-1A fighter aircraft. The first of these fighters is supposed to the 3rd ‘Cobras’ fighter squadron of the IAF. The defense minister chaired Defense Acquisition Council cleared the procurement of 114 Rafale fighters in Feb this year, but a deal is still some time away.
