Big defence buy coming up, and Lockheed Martin wants India to make the C-130J

US defence contractor Lockheed Martin has pitched its C-130J Super Hercules as the best choice for India’s planned acquisition of up to 80 military transport aircraft, saying the platform would strengthen tactical airlift capability and interoperability among Quad nations.

The company has also offered to establish a major production hub in India if it secures the contract, which executives said would be the first global final assembly facility for the C-130J outside the United States, PTI reported.

India’s planned procurement of medium transport aircraft (MTA) is expected to be a multi-billion-dollar deal and one of the country’s largest military aviation purchases in years. The Indian Air Force currently operates 12 C-130J aircraft, primarily used for special operations, humanitarian assistance and logistics in difficult terrain.

The aircraft is also operated by the United States, Australia and Japan, the other members of the Quad grouping.

In 2022, the IAF issued a request for information for a new medium transport aircraft fleet to replace its Soviet-era AN-32 and IL-76 aircraft.

India plans to procure around 80 aircraft, and the proposal is expected to be taken up by the Defence Acquisition Council in the coming weeks, PTI reported.

Lockheed Martin faces competition from Brazil’s Embraer, which is offering the KC-390 Millennium, and Europe’s Airbus Defence and Space, which has proposed the A400M.

The US company has partnered with Tata Advanced Systems to bid for the C-130J programme, building on an existing industrial relationship.

Tata Lockheed Martin Aerostructures Limited (TLMAL), based in Hyderabad, has been manufacturing C-130J empennages and other aerostructures for several years, supplying the global production line in the United States.

Lockheed Martin executives told PTI that the company has delivered more than 560 C-130J aircraft worldwide, which have accumulated over three million flight hours across 23 countries.

The aircraft, first introduced decades ago, has undergone continuous upgrades and is available in multiple configurations, including intelligence, surveillance, electronic warfare, special operations, search and rescue and command roles.

Patricia “Trish” Pagan, vice president for air mobility and maritime missions at Lockheed Martin, said the C-130J had proven its performance across a wide range of missions and operating environments.

“Proven in every challenging operational environment, the C-130J’s structural durability is the standard for reliability, safety and excellence,” she was quoted by PTI as saying.

The company said it is currently incorporating new technologies into the aircraft, including a distributed aperture system derived from the F-35 fighter programme. The sensor suite uses multiple infrared cameras to provide pilots with enhanced situational awareness, missile warning and night-vision capability.

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.

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.

“India is the only place we’re considering a C-130J co-production line outside the US,” Toth was quoted as saying by PTI.

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.”