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Lockheed Martin is planning a production hub in India
28 Dec 2025

Lockheed Martin has pitched its C-130J Super Hercules as the best option for India's military transport aircraft deal.

The US aerospace giant has promised to set up a major production facility in India if selected.

This move is aimed at bolstering India's tactical airlift capabilities within the Quad alliance.

The C-130J comes with advanced features and a proven track record, making it an ideal candidate for this critical requirement.

Lockheed Martin's track record and IAF's current fleet
Proven performance

Lockheed Martin has delivered over 560 aircraft from the C-130J Super Hercules family, which have completed over three million flight hours.

The leading tactical airlift has been in service with 28 operators across 23 countries.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) currently operates a fleet of 12 C-130Js, highlighting the aircraft's reliability and effectiveness in various operational scenarios.

C-130J's versatility and future enhancements
Aircraft capabilities

Along with the standard transport variant, Lockheed Martin also offers multiple specialized configurations of the C-130J.

These variants enable the aircraft to perform intelligence, electronic warfare, special forces support, search and rescue as well as command roles.

The company is also working on integrating new innovations into these planes such as the Distributed Aperture System (DAS), a key component on board F-35 Lightning combat jets.

Lockheed Martin's partnership with Tata Advanced Systems
Strategic alliance

Lockheed Martin has partnered with Tata Advanced Systems to bid for the C-130J Super Hercules program.

The collaboration has already seen successful joint production of C-130J empennages and other aerostructure assemblies in India.

These components are made at Tata Lockheed Martin Aerostructures Limited (TLMAL) in Hyderabad, and shipped to the US for integration into C-130J aircraft built in Marietta.

Lockheed's commitment to India's defense industrial base
Future plans

Roderick McLean, VP of Sustainment Operations at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, said the MTA program can add a "new strategic value" to the India-US partnership.

He emphasized that there is no tactical airlift plane in history which matches the relevance and versatility of the C-130Js.

The company also plans to establish a defense MRO facility in India as part of its global network of certified service centers.