Tata Lockheed Martin Aerostructures, a joint venture between Tata Advanced Systems and US-based defence systems manufacturer Lockheed Martin Corporation, delivered the first made-in-India centre wing box, a vital section of an aircraft connecting the wings to fuselage, for the latter’s Hercules C-130 military aircraft, from its Hyderabad facility on Friday.
Buoyed by the response to its C-130s from the Indian Air Force, the company is expecting more orders from the central government, according to George Shultz, vice-president and general manager (C-130 programmes), Lockheed Martin.
India has ordered six C-130s, a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft, to be used for special operations in early 2008.
“The six C-130s already flew out of our Bethesda, US, facility, last December for induction into the Indian Air Force,” Shultz said.
The joint venture facility, which broke ground in February 2011, is export-oriented and the products manufactured form the overall aircraft structure that Lockheed Martin will integrate and complete for its global C-130 aircraft customers.
“Besides India, 15 other countries have placed order for C-130s, and these could have parts made in India at Tata Lockheed Martin Aerostructures,” he said.
