Lockheed Martin pitches C-130Js as ‘best’ choice for IAF’s tactical airlift requirement, plans production hub in India

Marietta(TIP)- 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.