C-130J for Indian Air Force: Lockheed Martin and Tata Advanced Systems team up for MTA project

Lockheed Martin and Tata Advanced Systems announced an agreement to expand opportunities for the C-130J Super Hercules in the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) competition.

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With the MTA project, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is looking to acquire 40 to 80 transport aircrafts to replace about 100 aging An-32s (and possibly Il-76s as well).

The RFI establishes the following requirements:

• Cargo capacity between 18 and 30 tons.
• Approximate order of magnitude (ROM) cost of “aircraft and associated equipment” for a batch of 40, 60 and 80 aircraft, including spare parts, training, etc.
• First deliveries within 36 months of signing the contract.
• Percentage of manufacturing in India – “Make in India”.

Three aerospace companies responded to the RFI with their respective proposals: Lockheed Martin with the C-130J Super Hercules, Embraer with the C-390/KC-390 Millennium and Airbus Defence and Space with the A400M Atlas (although the latter’s payload capacity exceeds the initial requirements). Each supplier has entered into partnerships with local companies to meet the Indian government’s goal of significantly increasing domestic production in the defense sector. The “Make in India” initiative seeks to strengthen the Indian aerospace industry and generate local employment through strategic partnerships that provide know-how and state-of-the-art technology.

See also: “Contract of the Century”? Embraer and Mahindra partner to promote C-390 Millennium in India

Tata/Lockheed Martin collaboration

The collaboration between both companies will focus on two main axes: first, on the establishment of a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in India to service the current fleet of 12 C-130J Super Hercules aircraft of the IAF and other global operators. Secondly, the possibility of expanding the production and assembly of these aircrafts in Indian territory will be explored, with the aim of meeting the needs of the Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) program of the Indian Air Force, provided that the necessary approvals are obtained from the governments of the United States and India.

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#LockheedMartin and #TataAdvancedSystems Agreement to Expand C-130J Super Hercules Opportunities in India. pic.twitter.com/bOeS75TGoW

— Tata Advanced Systems (Tata Aerospace & Defence) (@tataadvanced) September 10, 2024

Sukaran Singh, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Tata Advanced Systems, said, «Collaborating with Lockheed Martin on the C-130J platform proposition for IAF’s MTA project is a milestone for Tata Advanced Systems. The current announcement is also significant as it marks the entry of Tata Advanced Systems into the defence MRO space in India for large aircraft platforms. This also helps towards a deeper relationship between the two companies, adding to the aerostructure work by Tata Advanced Systems for Lockheed Martin platforms.”

The partnership with the US aerospace giant has a history, solidified by Tata Advanced Systems’ involvement in assembling critical components of the C-130J Super Hercules, including empennages, wing center box, and fuel tanks. Furthermore, the companies explored co-producing the F-21, an Indian variant of the F-16, which would have included manufacturing F-16 wings for the global market.