India Buys 6-12 C-130J-30 Hercules for Special Forces

Feb 6/08: Indian newspapers report that the deal for C-130J aircraft has been signed already, and are beginning to leak details. Early indications are that India has bought 6 C-130J-30 stretched versions, with an option for 6 more, and that Lockheed Martin has agreed to follow India’s 30% industrial offsets rule. American Deputy Undersecretary of the Air Force Bruce Lemkin, who handles U.S. Air Force international affairs, also confirmed a deal to Reuters, but gave fewer specifics.

The Chief of Air Staff of the Indian Air Force (IAF), Air Chief Marshal FH Major, told the India Strategic website and defence magazine that a Letter of Agreement (LAO) was signed on Jan 30/08 in a quiet New Delhi ceremony. It covers 6 aircraft, plus infrastructure, spares and spare engines, related equipment, and operational and maintenance training – essentially, the package outlined in the DSCA release below. He added that “India has retained options to buy six more of these aircraft for its special forces for combined army-air force operations,” and said that “It would be a couple of metres longer than the standard Hercules aircraft, and equipped with equipment for night and battle zone operations.”

He is almost certainly describing the C-130J-30 stretched version, which is 15 feet longer than the C-130J. The DSCA’s noted package of communications equipment, ground collision avoidance and other night operations features, and electronic countermeasures would make India’s C-130J-30s the most advanced transports in their fleet by a wide margin.

Finally, Indian law requires that large defense deals offer 30% value in industrial offsets for deals over Rs 300 crore (3 billion rupees). This deal is over 10 times that limit, and details of how Lockheed Martin will go about fulfilling the offset obligation are currently being negotiated. The process of fulfilling those obligations will give Lockheed a strong web of existing Indian relationships to draw upon in further Hercules deals, however, and will also help lay a foundation for the $10 billion MMRCA fighter program’s 50% offset requirement, if the firm’s offer of its F-16 should win.

Source : The Hindu | The Hindustan Times | Reuters.