India, April 3 -- Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has imposed liquidated damages on GE Aerospace for delays in supplying F404-IN20 engines for the Tejas Mk-1A, its chairman and managing director DK Sunil said on Thursday.

He added that the Indian Air Force's LCA Mk-1 fleet (the first Tejas variant), grounded for nearly two months, will be cleared for flying next week after a software snag in the fighter jet's brake system was fixed.

A local modification committee has cleared the correction.

The contract for 99 engines specifies liquidated damages for any supply delay, and that clause is being invoked every time an engine is delayed, he said. "It is being done in line with the contract."

The US firm has so far delivered only six of...