Lockheed Martin eyes bigger India footprint with $10.5bn military aircraft bid

Lockheed Martin plans to enhance its manufacturing capabilities in India if selected for the medium transport aircraft contract.

Lockheed Martin is looking to significantly expand its aircraft manufacturing capabilities in India if it wins the country's $10.5 billion medium transport aircraft contract, building on its existing production partnership with Tata Advanced Systems Limited.The US aerospace major already manufactures key C-130J Super Hercules components in India through its joint venture with Tata, including the aircraft's empennage or tail assembly.Dan Tenney, senior vice president, global business development and strategy at Lockheed Martin, told PTI that the company plans to expand this existing capability as part of its bid for the medium transport aircraft programme."We have a long partnership with Tata that produces components and empennages of the C-130J aircraft.

It is a very robust capability that will be expanded in our current bid," Tenney said.He further stated, "We are looking to expand that capability with production and other things that occur within India".Currently, Tata Lockheed Martin Aerostructures in Hyderabad manufactures the C-130J Super Hercules empennage, or tail assembly, for Lockheed Martin's global production line. It includes the horizontal and vertical stabilisers, leading edges and tip assemblies.

India issued a tender in August for 60 medium transport aircraft at an estimated cost of $10.5 billion. Five Indian companies, including Tata Advanced Systems Limited, Mahindra Group, Adani Defence & Aerospace, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Reliance Defence, are in the fray for the contract and are expected to partner with global aircraft manufacturers.Aircraft in the MTA raceIndia's Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) programme is aimed at procuring 60 new military transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force to modernise and replace its ageing transport fleet, particularly the An-32.The requirement is for aircraft in the 18 to 30-tonne payload category, with operations from high-altitude and semi-prepared airfields also forming an important part of the requirement.Under the programme, 12 aircraft are to be supplied in flyaway condition, while 48 are to be manufactured in India.The aircraft being offered for the programme are the Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Super Hercules and Embraer C-390 Millennium. The C-130J-30 can carry around 19 to 22 tonnes, depending on the configuration cited, while the C-390 has a payload capacity of up to 26 tonnes.Airbus had earlier responded to the MTA requirement with the larger A400M Atlas, which can carry around 37 tonnes, but current reporting indicates Airbus is not proceeding as a main contender in the present competition.