Article Posted on : - Mar 31, 2010

The C-130J Hercules India is buying from the US. A Lockheed Martin Photo

ATLANTA (PTI): As Indian Air Force gets ready to induct the first of its C-130J transport aircraft early next year, the US aerospace giant Lockheed Martin has assured India of full serviceability at all times – but at a price.

The offer from the American company may prove to be a boon to IAF which has been having massive serviceability problems with its Russian supplied short and medium haul transport aircraft which are forced to be grounded due to shortage of spares.

With IAF now poised to change its transport inventory from Russia to apparently US, the Lockheed Martin is offering 80 per cent serviceability for its C-130J transport aircraft enabling it to be operational at all times.

The military aircraft manufacturer has assured the IAF that it will ensure their six C-130J transport fleet is fit and ready for operations when the IAF requires it badly.

For that, the firm has offered to maintain an 80 per cent serviceability of the four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft, bought by India in 2007 at a cost of US$ 1 billion for its Special Forces operations.

After decades of flying Russian aircraft, India recently signed major contracts with the US firm for supply of these aircraft for special operations. The company is hoping that New Delhi would increase its orders to make Hercules as the main stay of the IAF transport fleet replacing the aging Russian AN-32 aircraft.

The first of the six C-130J currently under production at the Lockheed Martin's facility in Marietta near here is scheduled for delivery by February 2011 and these would be based at IAF's Hindon air base just outside the capital New Delhi.

“We have offered India a sustainment package for the six C-130Js on the basis of performance of the fleet itself.

“We have said that the IAF pay us for the after sales support of spares and maintenance on the basis of an assured 80 per cent serviceability of the fleet. If the performance is lesser than what is assured, a penalty can be imposed,” Lockheed Martin's Director C-130J (India) Abhay Paranjape said.