From bombing Indian military positions during the India-Pakistan war of 1965 to possibly being ‘Made in India’ for the Indian Air Force (IAF), the C-130 has come a full circle.
In the race to supply Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) to the IAF to replace its aging fleet of An-32s, American defense giant Lockheed Martin has joined hands with Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) to manufacture the C-130J Super Hercules tactical airlifter to be made in India.
The agreement entails establishing a Maintenance and Repair Facility for the 12 C-130Js presently operated by the IAF and other global Super Hercules fleets.
It will also include setting up manufacturing and assembly in India should the IAF decide to go with C-130Js. For its global operators, the production line for the C-130Js will continue to be at the Marietta, Georgia, facility.
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“Collaborating with Lockheed Martin on the C-130J platform proposition for IAF’s (Indian Air Force’s) MTA project is a milestone for Tata Advanced Systems,” said Sukaran Singh, the CEO and managing director of Tata Advanced Systems.
The offer has been an interesting one as the American-made C-130s had fought from Pakistan’s side during the 1965 India-Pakistan war. The cargo aircraft supplied to the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) was modified to become a bomber and raid Indian runways.
The other important mission carried out by PAF’s C-130 fleet, as reported by the EurAsian Times, was the audacious para commando attack planned by Pakistan. The commandos were inserted by C-130B to cripple three frontline airbases of the IAF in Punjab – Pathankot, Halwara (near Ludhiana) and Adampur (near Jalandhar).
The IAF is looking for a new transport aircraft in the 18 to 30-tonne cargo-carrying capacity range.
In the request for information for the MTA, the IAF has asked the foreign vendors to provide a general estimate of the cost of aircraft and associated equipment for a batch of 40, 60, and 80 aircraft.
The IAF has asked OEMs to furnish information about the scope of technology transfer; methods to enhance indigenization and to set up a dedicated manufacturing line, including design, integration, and manufacturing processes in India; capability to undertake indigenous manufacture of systems, subsystems, components, and spares; and making India a regional or global hub for manufacturing and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of the equipment.
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The other companies in the fray are the Brazilian firm Embraer Defense & Security, which has partnered with Indian company Mahindra to manufacture the C-390 Millennium multi-mission aircraft in India. European Airbus Defense and Space is also offering its A-400 M aircraft.
Lockheed Martin also has the advantage as the C-130J is already in the IAF’s fleet. The IAF operates 12 Super Hercules for tactical airlifting. Embraer has so far supplied eight jets to India for VVIP travel and use as airborne early warning and control aircraft. This gives Embraer and Lockheed an advantage over Airbus in the deal.
Herculean Advantage Over Competitors
The American airlifters have been game-changers for the IAF and have displayed their capability post the Galwan clash force build-up along the Line of Actual Control with China. The strategic airlifter C-130J Super Hercules can carry 20 tonnes, compared to the Russian An-32 airlift capability of 4-6 tonnes.
“With the induction of C-17s and C-130s, the IAF’s strategic airlift capability has seen a quantum jump. Along with this maneuverability and onboard avionics of the two aircraft are far superior to the previous transport aircraft because of being new. Another capability C-130J has is to land and take off from unprepared surfaces,” a source told the EurAsian Times earlier.
In 2020, the Indian and Chinese troops remained entrenched on their respective sides. The Chinese PLA had pitched over 80 tents on their side.
The Indian Armed Forces did not waste time and swung into action. Its entire transport fleet, including the C-130s and C-17s, was deployed. They airlifted 68,000 troops, 330 infantry vehicles, and over 90 tanks and artillery guns, outfoxing China.
The Russian An-32 and IL-76s have been the mainstay of the IAF’s airlift capability. It was an An-32 that reactivated the strategic airbase of Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) in the northern Himalayas after 43 years. However, with the limited load-carrying capacity of the Russian transport aircraft, the IAF decided to land a C-130J here.
The C-130J landed at DBO, the world’s highest airfield at 16,614 feet, close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China around ten years ago.
The procurement is expected to involve technology transfer and setting up a manufacturing line in the country for high-level indigenization.
C-390 vs C-130J
The Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules, introduced in 1999, has four turboprop engines and is mostly used as a military transport aircraft. Lockheed Martin’s C-130 Hercules had received a complete upgrade with the C-130J that contained new engines, a flying deck, and other equipment.
In 2020, the Royal Netherlands Air Force chose the C-390 Millenium over the C-130J. Because of its speed and load capacity, the Brazilian-origin aircraft could complete a mission with fewer aircraft than the competition.
The KC-390 (cruising at 470kt true airspeed) is a lot faster than the C-130J (cruise 248kt) and has a high operational ceiling (36,0000 ft compared to 28,000ft of the C-130J). The range of the KC-390 is a little less (1,750 miles compared to the C-130J’s 2,100 miles).
According to Embraer, a fleet of six KC-390s flying 1,350nm (2,500km) round trips could deliver 500 tonnes and 1,000 passengers in less than two days. The company says that is 40 percent faster than the C-130J.
Compared to the C-130J, the KC-390 is 15 percent faster, carries 18 percent heavier cargo, and costs 41 percent less. Despite having a 15 percent lower range than the C-130J, the KC-390 includes aerial refueling as a standard feature (only a few specialized sub-variants of the C-130 feature an aerial refueling capability.
The C-390, the most modern military transport aircraft on the market, can carry a larger payload (26 t) than other medium-sized military transport aircraft and flies 870 km/h (470 knots).
