As India prepares to procure up to 80 military transport planes, US aerospace major Lockheed Martin has pitched its C-130J Super Hercules as the best choice and said the aircraft will provide it a “stronger” heft for tactical airlift among the Quad nations.
If Lockheed Martin gets the opportunity, then it will set up a mega hub in India to produce the “iconic” aircraft, and it will be the first such global facility outside of the US, top officials of the company told PTI. To date, Lockheed Martin has delivered more than 560 aircraft from the C-130J Super Hercules family, which have accumulated more than three million flight hours. The leading tactical airlift has been serving 28 operators in 23 nations.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) currently operates 12 C-130Js.
Alongside the standard transport variant, Lockheed Martin offers multiple specialised configurations of the C-130J which enable the aircraft to perform intelligence, electronic warfare, and special forces support, search and rescue and command roles.Besides India, the three other Quad member nations — the US, Australia and Japan — have been operating C-130Js.
“The C-130J Super Hercules reflects proven performance and versatility across 20 unique mission sets. It holds 54 world records. Proven in every challenging operational environment, the C-130J’s structural durability is the standard for reliability, safety, and excellence,” said Patricia Trish Pagan, Vice President, Air Mobility and Maritime Missions at Lockheed Martin.
Pagan said Lockheed Martin is the preferred partner globally because the C-130Js are “built to deliver and built to last”, adding the aircraft will be the “best option for India”.
In 2022, the IAF issued a Request for Information (RFI) to purchase medium transport aircraft (MTA) to replace its ageing 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 US defence major has partnered with Tata Advanced Systems to bid for the C-130J Super Hercules programme.
Currently, Lockheed Martin is in the process of incorporating new innovations into the C-130Js, including the Distributed Aperture System (DAS) that is a key component onboard the F-35 Lightning combat jets.
The DAS is a spherical sensor suite with six infrared cameras providing rigorous situational awareness, missile warning and night vision for pilots.
“We have a proven global track record, deep Indian collaboration experience, possess a robust supply-chain to include an extensive network of Indian suppliers, and the ability to set up a capability to benefit India, the globe and regional security,” Pagan said.
Roderick McLean, Vice President, Sustainment Operations at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, said the MTA programme can impart a “new strategic value” to the India-US partnership as it will allow both sides to strengthen defence industrial base.
McLean also asserted that there is no tactical airlift plane in history that matches the relevance and versatility of the C-130Js, as it has benefited from over 70 years of innovation and new features like artificial intelligence are being incorporated.
“We are doing a lot on connectivity to be able to connect systems from seabed up to space. We are looking at all of the connectivity systems that we have and how do we bring those systems into the C-130Js and how do we make them available to meet the needs of the IAF and others around the world,” he said.
“The value the C-130Js provide is not only what it does today, but it is what it will be able to do in the future through continuous innovation and also allow the IAF to partner with Lockheed Martin to leverage the strength of the company,” he added.
McLean said the MTA programme will be a very major opportunity for future growth of the C-130J fleet. “It represents the largest international opportunity for C-130s in its 70-year history.”
“Whether supporting NATO, the Quad, or any one of a network of 70 operators, the C-130 and Lockheed Martin have a history of sustained performance in the toughest and most extreme operational environments. With MTA selection, we are committed and prepared to boost India’s industrial ecosystem, while bringing other systems, programs and countries together, to deliver enhanced capability to the region, country, and the world,” he said.
Robert Toth, the vice president, business development, air mobility and maritime missions at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, said the C130Js are a “symbol of hope” around the world and that it will be the right choice for India’s MTA programme.
“Operated by India and 22 other nations, the C-130J has logged over 3 million flight hours and proven its capability, versatility, and durability in the execution of 20 certified mission sets in the most challenging operational environments,” he said.
“Every day, the IAF’s C-130J aircrews, maintainers, and support personnel prove the C-130J is the right medium transport aircraft to deliver security to India from the sea to the world’s highest airfield, Daulat Beg Oldie at 16,614 feet above sea level in the Himalayas,” he said.
Toth described as very significant Lockheed Martin’s plan to establish the first major production hub outside of the Marietta facility in India for the aircraft.
“India is the only place we’re considering a C-130J co-production line outside the US. We would establish that second final assembly line in India to produce C-130Js for the IAF under the MTA programme while maintaining full-rate production in Marietta Georgia for other customers.” “Out of the over 2,700 C-130s that have been built, only the first two prototype airplanes were built outside of Marietta. They were built in Burbank, California,” he said.
Toth said the proposed hub for manufacturing of the aircraft will also open doors for its possible exports to various other markets.
“With the selection of the Lockheed Martin C-130J, India will not only receive the most capable medium transport aircraft ever built, but India will also have a partner in Lockheed Martin with a deep understanding of the IAF’s mission and ready to deliver tailored solutions that address current and future challenges.” Toth argued that India procuring an additional fleet of C-130J Super Hercules will provide it an edge in the Quad, adding the aircraft has been a “centrepiece” for the air forces of the grouping’s member nations.
Australia is in the process of currently replacing their original fleet of C-130Js with brand new C-130Js. Japan is also planning to do the same.
“The US inventory of C-130Js continues to grow. And we believe that India possessing more C-130Js through the India MTA programme gives it a stronger position for airlift within the Quad,” Toth said.
He also said that Lockheed Martin will be able to deliver the planes to India much faster than any of its competitors.
“We are building between 20 and 24 airplanes a year here in Marietta. Recently, we produced as many as 36 airplanes a year here. And in some years we’ve produced even more than that.” Toth said the company has the ability to increase the production rate to meet any global demand. “I believe we can meet the demand for India’s initial airplanes faster than any of our competitors because of the production line we have out here today,” he said.
“I think we have the surge capacity to produce additional airplanes for India, and the production line that’s going to be established in India produces surge capacity,” 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 (TLMAL) in Hyderabad, the C-130J tail or empennage is shipped to the US for integration into C-130J aircraft built in Marietta.
Recently, Tata Lockheed Martin Aerostructures Limited (TLMAL) 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.
