Lockheed Martin offers C-130J for IAF’s MTA requirement, plans manufacturing base in India

As India prepares to procure up to 80 military transport aircraft, US aerospace major Lockheed Martin has pitched the C-130J Super Hercules as the best option for the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) tactical airlift requirement and said the aircraft would strengthen India’s airlift capability within the Quad grouping.

Senior Lockheed Martin officials told PTI that if the company is selected for the medium transport aircraft (MTA) programme, it plans to set up a major production hub in India to manufacture the C-130J Super Hercules. The proposed facility would be the first such global production hub for the aircraft outside the United States.

Lockheed Martin said it has delivered more than 560 aircraft from the C-130J family so far, with the fleet accumulating over three million flight hours. The aircraft is currently operated by 28 operators across 23 countries. The IAF already operates 12 C-130J aircraft.

Along with the standard transport variant, the company offers specialised versions of the C-130J for intelligence, electronic warfare, special forces support, search and rescue, and command roles.

“The C-130J Super Hercules offers superior performance and capabilities for every theatre of operations. This aircraft will be the best option for India,” Patricia Trish Pagan, Vice President, Air Mobility and Maritime Missions at Lockheed Martin, said.

In 2022, the IAF issued a Request for Information to acquire medium transport aircraft to replace its ageing Soviet-era AN-32 and IL-76 fleet. The force plans to procure around 80 aircraft, with the multi-billion-dollar programme expected to be cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council in the coming weeks.

Brazil’s Embraer with the KC-390 Millennium and Airbus Defence and Space with the A-400M are also competing for the programme. Lockheed Martin has partnered with Tata Advanced Systems for its C-130J bid.

The company said it is adding new technologies to the aircraft, including the Distributed Aperture System, a spherical sensor suite with six infrared cameras that provides situational awareness, missile warning and night-vision capability for pilots.

Roderick McLean, Vice President, Sustainment Operations at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, said the MTA programme could add strategic value to the India-US partnership by strengthening defence industrial cooperation.

Robert Toth, Vice President, Business Development, Air Mobility and Maritime Missions at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, said the C-130J has a proven track record with the IAF, which has operated the aircraft for a range of missions over several years.

He said an expanded fleet of C-130J aircraft would strengthen India’s position within the Quad, noting that the aircraft is a key platform for the air forces of Quad member nations. Australia is replacing its older C-130J fleet, while Japan is also planning similar upgrades.

Lockheed Martin and Tata Advanced Systems have been jointly manufacturing C-130J empennages and aerostructure components in India for several years at Tata Lockheed Martin Aerostructures Limited in Hyderabad. The facility recently delivered its 250th C-130J empennage.

(With inputs from PTI)