Lockheed Martin to build C-130J aircraft in India for the 1st time
Lockheed Martin has said it is considering bringing a C-130J Super Hercules final assembly line to India—an outcome that, if the company is selected under India's Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) program and the plan proceeds, could mark the first time this legendary military transport plane is built outside the US.
The move is part of a big push to make more defense tech in India, with plans for these planes to serve not just the Indian Air Force, but possibly other countries too.
As Rob Toth from Lockheed put it, these will be "made in India, for India, and potentially for the world."
Why should you care?
This is a major step for India's defense industry—meaning more jobs, stronger supply chains, and a bigger role on the global stage.
Tata and Lockheed have already hit milestones together (like delivering 250 aircraft tails with 96% local parts), and there's even a new aircraft maintenance hub coming up in Bengaluru.
With competition heating up between global giants like Airbus and Embraer for future IAF orders, this could lead to one of the biggest deals in decades.