William Blair, Vice President & Chief Executive, Lockheed Martin India
Kurt Knust, Director, F-21 India Programme and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
VAYU : The Lockheed Martin C-130J has been backbone of the Indian Air Force in conducting humanitarian and tactical airlift missions. What kind of special configurations have been made to Indian C-130Js to enable the same?
LM: The C-130 programme represents a strong legacy of partnership between the U.S. and India. The Indian Air Force’s C-130J Super Hercules have a highly integrated and sophisticated configuration primarily designed to support India’s special operations requirement. Equipped with an Infrared Detection Set (IDS), the aircraft can perform precision low-level flying, airdrops and landing in blackout conditions. Self-protection systems and other features are included to ensure aircraft survivability in hostile air defence environment. The aircraft are also equipped with air-to-air receiver refueling capability for extended range operations. India’s C-130Js have been used to support a variety of missions over the past few years, to include humanitarian aid, natural disaster support and floods (an IAF C-130J was the first aircraft to arrive after the Nepal earthquake), airlift, search and rescue, and special operations.
Most recently, the IAF has been extensively using the Hercules for humanitarian efforts in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic for delivering critical medical equipment, medicines, PPEs, sanitizers and other essentials to remote places, airlifting teams of Indian military doctors to countries like Nepal, the Maldives and Kuwait, and for movement of men and material to the forward areas in Ladakh. The C-130J is the only airlifter that can seamlessly handle all of India’s challenging terrain, from short, unprepared landing strips in the Himalayan mountains to vast coastlines. The C-130J’s rugged reliability makes it an asset unmatched by other aircraft.
VAYU : Tell us about the Simulation Training Facilities set-up for the IAF’s C-130J fleet, and about your C-130J Maintenance & Aircrew Training System (MATS)
LM: In partnership with Mahindra Defence Systems, Lockheed Martin is meeting the increasing global demand for C-130J military flight training at the Indian Air Force C-130J Super Hercules simulator training centre at Hindon Air Station in India. This state-of-the-art training centre provides qualitative and quantitative training for C-130J pilots, combat system operators and loadmasters. Through realistic and holistic learning environments, crew members are able to hone critical tactical and operational skills to conduct a variety of missions including humanitarian aid, natural disaster support, airlift, search and rescue and special operations. For all nations operating C-130Js, the Lockheed Martin C-130J Maintenance and Aircrew Training System (MATS) programme provides a comprehensive range of training devices and training support services teaching aircrew and maintenance personnel without having to board the aircraft. Launched in 2000, the programme provides training devices, training aids,device modernisation, and courseware development for C-130J pilots, loadmasters, maintainers, combat system operators and crewmasters. The C-130J MATS programme has delivered 36 flight simulators, 64 other simulators and 26 courses with more than 3,300 lessons across eight configurations to date with 26 additional new device deliveries planned through to early 2024. In addition, the C-130J MATS Training Systems Support Centre (TSSC) provides configuration management, engineering tasks and cybersecurity for the Air Mobility Command, Air National Guard and Naval Aviation Systems Command end users. The TSSC provides operational support across a wide range of infrastructure elements, keeping the training system current, configured, relevant and modern.
VAYU : Lockheed Martin has offered its F-21 aircraft to the Indian Air Force for the 114 fighter jet competition and described this as an unprecedented ‘Make in India’ opportunity. What are the new components and technologies being leveraged for the F-21?
LM: Lockheed Martin is committed to strategic, long-term international defence partnerships with India and hopes to strengthen and grow its relationship with India as part of an unprecedented F-21 fighter aircraft partnership “For India, From India”. The F-21 delivers advanced, scalable capabilities to the Indian Air Force, provides unmatched opportunities for Indian industry, and accelerates US-India cooperation on advanced technologies. The F-21 has unique capabilities including an advanced APG-83 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, which has detection ranges nearly double that of previous mechanically scanned array radars and the ability to track and attack more targets with higher precision; an Advanced Electronic Warfare (EW) System developed uniquely for India that provides enhanced survivability against ground and air threats; Long-Range Infrared Search & Track (IRST), enabling pilots to detect threats without being detected; Triple Missile Launcher Adapters (TMLAs), allowing the F-21 to carry 40 percent more air-to-air weapons; and a Dorsal Fairing enabling increased growth capacity and indigenous systems integration in the future. The F-21 is also the only fighter in the world capable of both probe/drogue and boom aerial fueling capability. This, along with Conformal Fuel Tanks (CFTs), delivers greater range penetration and loiter staying power to the Indian Air Force. An F-21 partnership integrates India into the world’s largest and most successful fighter aircraft ecosystem – a USD $165 billion market and demonstrates Lockheed Martin’s commitment to India. Simply put, the F-21 goes further, faster, and stays longer than the competition – all at the most optimal Life Cycle Cost for the Indian Air Force. Whether you are talking about battlefields or budgets, the F-21 is the clear choice for India!
VAYU : Could you also elaborate on how the F-21 will complement IAF’s existing fleet of aircraft, considering that the Rafale was recently inducted?
LM: As mentioned previously, the single-engine F-21 is the ideal solution to meet the Indian Air Force’s capability needs, deliver unparalleled ‘Make in India’ industrial opportunities, and accelerate India-US cooperation on advanced defense technologies. We believe that the F-21 aircraft complements IAF’s existing fleet as it fits right in between the Tejas and Rafale to provide an operational gap-filler. It delivers an advanced, single-engine multi-role fighter at the most optimal Life Cycle Cost for the Indian Air Force, with the longest service life of any competitor: 12,000 flight hours.
VAYU : Given that you have two joint ventures with Tata in Hyderabad, how will these partnerships help you for the F-21 programme? Additionally, what are some other partnerships that you can leverage for the same?
LM: We have been committed to building trust, technology development and strategic collaboration with India. Our joint venture with Tata Advanced Systems Ltd., Tata Lockheed Martin Aerostructures Limited in Hyderabad for over 10 years produces major aerostructure components for the C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft. This is the sole supplier of these components to Lockheed Martin and is an integral part of our global supply chain. Our other joint venture is between Tata and Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation which was established over 10 years ago. This JV manufactures aerospace components for commercial helicopters and aircraft and has expanded to include aircraft engine components for aerospace industry companies as well. It is also fully integrated into the global supply chain. We hope to strengthen and grow our commitment to India with the F-21 “for India, from India”. The F-21 delivers advanced, scalable capabilities to the Indian Air Force, provides unmatched opportunities for Indian industry, and accelerates US-India cooperation on advanced technologies. At the 11th edition of DefExpo, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Bharat Electronics Limited, a premier aerospace and defence company in India to explore industrial opportunities for the F-21 programme. We believe that an F-21 partnership with India integrates Indian industry, including BEL, into the world’s largest and most successful fighter aircraft ecosystem and demonstrates Lockheed Martin’s commitment to India. We continue to seek strategic relationships with the Indian Defence Public Sector and Private sector companies spanning large, MSMEs and start-ups to be both competitive and meet the Indian selfreliance initiatives and indigenous content requirements.
VAYU : What are the R&D initiatives of LM in India and does that give you a competitive advantage for the F-21?
LM: As a part of our larger commitment to support Indian innovation, Lockheed Martin has sponsored and supported the India Innovation Growth Programme (IIGP) since 2007 in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology, the Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum, University of Allahabad, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Stanford Graduate School of Business, and the IC2 Institute at the University of Texas. The IIGP has pioneered an initiative that has supported more than 400 innovators and start-ups with in-depth technology commercialisation training and support to commercialise and scale their ventures in India and across the world. To date, the revenue generated for Indian entrepreneurs through this programme is approaching USD $1 billion, and it is a flagship innovation programme in the Department of Science and Technology. We believe that the F-21 will significantly boost India’s innovation ecosystem as continuous innovation is a fundamental part of successful fighter aircraft programmes.