First C130J aircraft to be delivered to India next week

[divya]

WASHINGTON: The first of the six state-of-the-art C-130J military transport aircraft would be delivered to India on December 16, its manufacturer Lockheed Martin said today.

India has placed orders for six of these aircrafts. "The first C-130J for India will be formally delivered on December 16 at a ceremony in Marietta," Lockheed Martin said in a statement.

"Two will be flown to India in early 2011, while two more will arrive in early summer and the last two will be delivered in late summer of 2011," it said.

Robert Blake, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, said on Wednesday that in conjunction with the purchase of six C-130J transport aircraft in 2008 the recent USD 4.1 billion C-17 Indian deal with Boeing will double US-India defense trade and provide the Indian Air Force a strategic airlift and humanitarian response capability that is unique to the region and emblematic of India's ambitions to play an increasingly global role.

"Once all the aircraft have been delivered, ladies and gentlemen, India will have the second largest C-17 fleet in the world behind the US - a highly visible manifestation of the US-India defense partnership," Blake said.

Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules is the most advanced airlifter ever built.

The C-130J combines the latest in aerospace technology with a proven, rugged airframe design, resulting in an aircraft that gives an operator more capability with greater operational efficiency.

The Indian Air Force's new Super Hercules will be the longer fuselage or "stretched" variant of the C-130J, similar to those being delivered to the US Air Force.

With this India joins the growing number of nations with C-130J fleets including the US, Australia, Canada, Italy, Denmark, Norway and the United Kingdom.

The C-130J carries eight 463L pallets, 97 medical litters, 24 CDS bundles, 128 combat troops and 92 paratroops.

Equipped with an Infrared Detection Set (IDS), the aircraft will be able to 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 environments.

In addition the aircraft is equipped with air-to-air receiver refueling capability for extended range operations.

Lockheed Martin will integrate this equipment and other capabilities into the Indian configuration as agreed between the governments.

Read more: First C130J aircraft to be delivered to India next week - The Times of India First C130J aircraft to be delivered to India next week - The Times of India

 

[Paan Singh]

well americans are commited to time schedule,thats better

 

[AnGrz_Z_K_Jailer]

^^^

True and very impressive .. Germans and American they're too strick when its comes to time management ..Anyway Congrats to all my fellow Indians and lets welcome this flying machines into IAF fleet..

Hope we Indians learn this quality from Americans....

Regards
Jailer

 

[JayAtl]

US india

 

[SpArK]

Lockheed Martin delivers India's first C-130J aircraft​

US aerospace and defence company Lockheed Martin expects India’s defence ministry to approve a formal letter of request to be sent to the US government for an additional six C-130J Super Hercules military transport aircraft within the next couple of months, according to Orville Prins, the company’s vice-president for business development in India. Under the contract, worth nearly $1 billion and signed in 2008 for six C-130J aircraft, India had an option to buy six more planes.

Prins spoke to Business Standard from his company’s facility in Marietta, near Atlanta, Georgia, shortly after Lockheed Martin formally delivered India’s first C-130J aircraft to the US Air Force (USAF), which received it on behalf of the Indian Air Force (IAF). Two C-130Js will be flown by IAF crews to India early next year, in late January or early February. They are expected to arrive in time to be shown at the Aero India 2011 expo from February 9-13 in Bangalore.

The remaining four aircraft will be delivered by late summer of next year, months ahead of schedule, according to Lockheed Martin.
The company expects the order for the additional six C-130J aircraft to be identical or very similar to the initial order. Prins said the IAF crews, who had been training with the machines in the US for the past few months, were very pleased with their experience.

The planes have been modified and specially equipped for special mission roles. The IAF requirements included capability for precision low-level flying, airdrops, landing in blackout conditions, and features to ensure survivability in hostile air defence environments. The IAF models are the longer fuselage variant of the C-130J, similar to those used by the USAF.

While Pakistan has operated C-130 aircraft for several years, this will be India’s first experience with any variant of this machine. Additional support and infrastructure requirements as a new operator have added to the price tag of the initial order, according to Prins. He pointed out that if the IAF decides to station the additional aircraft at the Hindan air base near New Delhi, along with the first six planes, the support requirements will be proportionately lower, even as the baseline price for the aircraft would remain the same for the follow-up order.

The aircraft delivered to the IAF will not have some advanced communications security equipment such as high precision global positioning system, as India is yet to sign certain security agreements, including the Communications Interoperability and Security Memorandum of Agreement, or CISMOA, with the US government. But Prins said Lockheed Martin had found alternate solutions to meet IAF requirements for these functions.

The C-130J order will mark the first induction of US military aircraft into the IAF in over four decades. Lockheed Martin is also in the fray for a number of other defence deals to supply equipment to the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force, and considers its F-16IN a “strong competitor” in the race to sell 126 fighter jets to the IAF, an order expected to be worth $12 billion. Says Prins, “We view the market in India as part of the transformative relationship between India and the US.”


Lockheed Martin delivers India's first C-130J aircraft

 

[SpArK]

 

[Bose-the great]

US india

Little Correction..

US Indian

 

[tariqkhan18]

India’s first C-130J Super Hercules takes off! | Indian Defence

India's C-130J Super Hercules Takes Off!!

 

[sudhir007]

http://*****************/album/v/FIDSNS/defense/Air+Forces/India/transport/indian-air-force-c-130j.jpg.html

 

[kingdurgaking]

so are we going to buy additional 6 C130J from lockeed??..

 

[Abingdonboy]

Any news? Pics? Wasnr the first supposed to arrive yesterday (Friday)??

 

[marcos98]

The first of six C-130Js for the Indian Air Force.

 

[Dash]

IAF is completely western oriented, IN is completely indegenous, that leaves Army in a dilemma...jaaen to kahan jaaen??

 

[rockstarIN]

Can anybody post a pix of inside space of Hercules?

 

[trident2010]

IAF Takes Delivery Of First C-130J

At ceremonies today here (Marietta, Georgia), Lockheed Martin delivered the first of six C-130Js for the Indian Air Force. The new fleet was ordered under a $1.2 billion U.S. Foreign Military Sale (India’s first) in late 2008.

“There are few mottos that impart such passion as that of the Indian Air Force, which is ‘Touch the Sky With Glory’,” said Lorraine Martin, Lockheed Martin’s vice president for C-130 Programs, during today’s ceremony. “Today begins a new glorious, enduring partnership with India as the fourth largest air force in the world proudly joins the worldwide C-130 family.”

This is India’s first experience with the C-130 so the package being provided by the U.S. government is comprehensive. The contact includes six aircraft, training of aircrew and maintenance technicians, spares, ground support and test equipment, servicing carts, forklifts, loading vehicles, cargo pallets and a team of technical specialists who will be based in India during a three year initial support period. Also included in the package is India-unique operational equipment designed to increase Special Operations capabilities. The first two C-130Js will be flown to India early next year and will be followed by the remaining four aircraft deliveries in 2011. India’s new airlift fleet will be based at Hindon Air Force Station.

The Indian Air Force’s C-130J Super Hercules is 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 defense environments. The aircraft also is equipped with air-to-air receiver refueling capabilityfor extended range operations.

The C-130J is ideally suited to India’s mission environment, which often involves operating out of austere, high-elevation airstrips in hot conditions. The C-130J is powered by four Rolls Royce AE2100 engines and Dowty six bladed props which provide the aircraft with a great deal of power. The C-130J has been operated for the past several years in the mountainous areas of Afghanistan in conditions similar to India and performed exceptionally well.


Livefist - Indian Defence & Aerospace: IAF Takes Delivery Of First C-130J