US aerospace major Lockheed Martin on Tuesday said it plans to set up a facility for the co-production of the C-130J Super Hercules heavy-lift military transport aircraft in India that will be the first such global hub outside the United States.
With the Indian Air Force beginning its hunt to procure up to 80 tactical lift transport aircraft, Lockheed Martin pitched the C-130J plane as the best choice for the force as it has been a "reliable workhorse" in India and over 20 other nations.
Robert Toth, the vice president (business development, air mobility and maritime missions) at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, said the IAF's Medium Transport Aircraft programme gives the company an opportunity not only to bring capability to India, but also to further its industrial base.
"We are continuing to invest ahead of MTA in the C-130Js and posturing ourselves for building aircraft in India," he told PTI in an interview.
"In fact, out of all of the opportunities across the world, India is the first country where we have pledged that we would set up a co-production facility in India outside of the United States," Toth said.
The IAF currently operates 12 C-130J Super Hercules aircraft.
Lockheed Martin's plan to set up the co-production facility is largely linked to its winning the contract for the MTA deal.
The US defence major has partnered with Tata Advanced Systems to bid for the C-130J Super Hercules programme.
In 2022, the IAF issued a Request for Information to purchase medium transport aircraft to replace its aging fleet of Soviet-era AN-32 and IL-76 planes.
The IAF plans to procure around 80 military transport aircraft, and the multi-billion dollar procurement is likely to be cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council in the next few weeks.
Brazilian plane maker Embraer's KC-390 Millennium aircraft and Airbus Defence and Space's A-400M plane are also in the race for the MTA programme.
The C-130J Super Hercules is a leading tactical airlift, serving 28 operators in 23 nations. To date, more than 560 C-130Js have been delivered and certified by over 20 airworthiness authorities, with the Super Hercules global fleet surpassing three million flight hours.
"Over the last 15 years, the Indian Air Force has proven that the C-130J is the right platform for India. Our pedigree and our capabilities have been demonstrated here in India, and it is going to position us quite well for this (MTA) competition," Toth said.
In a significant move, Tata Advanced Systems on Monday kick-started the setting up of a defence maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in Bengaluru to support Lockheed Martin's C-130J Super Hercules aircraft.
The construction of the MRO is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, and it is set to receive the first C-130 for MRO operations in early 2027.
The senior Lockheed Martin official said the C-130J Super Hercules has been operating in over 20 countries and the aircraft is best positioned to address the requirement of the IAF going forward.
"We believe that if you look at the whole value of what the C-130Js bring compared to our competitors, we are well positioned for this opportunity in India," he said.
Toth said Lockheed Martin is very bullish about the Indian market.
"I think it provides a tremendous opportunity going forward. India has been an important market for Lockheed Martin going back 70 years when we first brought the Constellation aircraft to India," he said.
Lockheed Martin and Tata Advanced Systems have been jointly manufacturing C-130J empennages and other aerostructure assemblies in India for the last several years.
Produced at Tata Lockheed Martin Aerostructures Limited in Hyderabad, the C-130J tail or empennage is shipped to the US for integration into C-130J aircraft built at Lockheed Martin's facility in Marietta, Georgia.
Last week, Tata Lockheed Martin Aerostructures Limited celebrated the delivery of its 250th C-130J tail.
The defence MRO facility will join the existing global network of Lockheed Martin Certified Service Centers and will be strategically located to service the C-130J Super Hercules, KC-130J and C-130 B-H legacy aircraft in the future.