Lockheed May Build C-130Js in India

By Jim Morris, Warrior Vice President, News

Lockheed Martin is hoping to take the advantage in the multi-billion dollar race to sell India more military transport planes.

Lockheed executive Anthony Frese told the Hindustan Times the company is exploring options for building the C-130J in India. Lockheed already has a joint venture in India with Tata known as TLMAL, building tail assemblies that are installed on C-130s being built in the US.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) already operates a dozen C-130J aircraft, and Frese told the newspaper the plane has an availability rate of almost 90 percent. “It has an impressive track record of accomplishing missions and that places us in an advantageous position in this competition,” he said.

Lockheed is going up against Airbus and Brazil’s Embraer in the battle to sell India 40 to 80 aircraft.

Airbus hopes to sell the IAF its A-400M aircraft. The European company has its own joint venture with Tata to produce 56 C295 transports. Embraer, which builds the C-390 transport, has sold eight planes to India for use as executive jets and early warning and control aircraft. It has signed an agreement with India’s Mahindra to bid for the order.

Lockheed’s Frese is pushing the idea that India should stay the course by buying more C-130Js. “Apart from the aircraft’s versatility, reliability and low operating costs, there will also be commonality in training, maintenance, spares and logistics support,” he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has been pushing a Make in India initiative to boost the country’s defense industry.