Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) which is in joint venture with Boeing, will be undertaking its ground-breaking ceremony at Hyderabad this month. TASL developed a relationship with Boeing since July 15, last year for building a fuselage of the Apache combat helicopters which was being done in South Korea and now it has been transferred to TASL, India. The joint venture with Boeing is at 51-49 per cent ratio in favour of TASL.
“We are also developing command and controls for the medium range surface to air missiles which is co-development project between India and Israel. We also have facilities to develop unmanned systems drones. We will also become the first Indian company to build a full military radar,” said Sukaran Singh, CEO and Managing Director of TASL to Herald at the Defexpo.
TASL is also into building of fuselage of Sikorsky’s S92 helicopter at Hyderabad as a single source which has been ordered by the US President. It was a transplant from Mitsubishi of Japan to TASL of India.
TASL and Lockheed Martin too are in a joint venture agreement which is at 26 per cent to 74 per cent in favour of TASL to build the empennage and parts of the fuselage for the C130 Hercules aircraft. This is now built in India and then transferred to Marietta for Lockheed Martin where it is integrated into the rest of the aircraft and then sold to many countries. This capability is a single source, which means that Lockheed has actually shut down its equivalent factory in the United States of America and transferred all that to TASL of India.
“Lockheed Martin is very satisfied with the quality and the price, as we actually and obviously offered them a price which was a ten year old price which was much less than what they otherwise being charged by their supplier in the United States. We hope to expand our relationship with Lockheed,” added Sukaran Singh.
Talking to Herald, Lockheed Martin’s director of Integrated Fighter Group Auronautics Startegy and Business Development worldwide for F-16 Randall L Howard said, “F-16 first flight was in 1974 and today we have over 4500 of them and are much more advanced version. The US and Government of India are now working to have some more definitive conversation and opportunities. The talks are on at present and will continue in the first week of April.”
The company has set-up production units in several countries in the past. Some of them being at Belgium, Netherlands, Turkey, South Korea. “We believe that it will be a unique opportunity if the talks at the high-level work out in favour of this business. At the moment 4588 F-16 has been sold globally till date and we are in discussions with about four more customers and you can see our production to soar by 2020. This opportunity of assembling and manufacturing of F-16 can be done in India,” added Randall L Howard.
Lockheed Martins Aeronautics Company has delivered six units of C130J Super Hercules planes to India in 2011 and six more helicopters will be delivered next year. These aircrafts have the capability to be used in multiple roles.
“We call C130 as Buy one aircaft and get an airforce. It is a capability across multiple missions. You can have C130 aircraft in the role of intelligence surveillance, maritime surveillance, humanitarian relief as disaster hit areas, special operation missions, paratroopers, transport, fire fighting etc. There is a variety of roles that C130 can do and we call it roll on, roll off model,” said Abhay Paranjape, director, Business Development of Lockheed Martin.
Lockheed Martin in 2011 had provided six C-130J Super Hercules transport to India, and the next lot of six will be provided to India in 2017. The deal was also the first major military contract between India and US in more than 40 years. Lockheed Martin also maintains a strong presence in India, and employs more than 1,000 people.
