Public sector military plane manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on Thursday said it is “fully ready” to deliver five Tejas Mark 1-A fighter jets for the Indian Air Force (IAF). Another nine planes, the company said, were ready at its factory but awaiting engines from US firm General Electric (GE).“We can confirm that five aircraft are fully ready for delivery, incorporating major contracted capabilities in accordance with the agreed specifications,” HAL said. Sources said the aircraft were equipped with a powerful air-to-air missile.Another nine aircraft had already been built and upon receipt of engines from GE, these would be made ready for delivery, the Bengaluru-headquartered company said.“All design and development issues are being addressed in an expedited manner. HAL is in active discussions with the Indian Air Force to deliver the aircraft at the earliest,” the company said, adding “it would meet the guidance (timeline) projected for the current financial year”.HAL said the “engine supply process from GE was positive”, and that the future delivery outlook aligned with HAL’s delivery plans.Sources said the delay in the supply of F404 engines had pushed back the delivery schedule of the Tejas Mark 1-A jets. HAL is producing 180 of these aircraft for the Indian Air Force, with deliveries originally scheduled to start in March 2024. The GE engines were expected to arrive before that.In July last year, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had asked his US counterpart Pete Hegseth to fast-track the engine deliveries. However, the process was further slowed as the India-US relations soured last year, delaying the induction of the jets.