Lockheed Martin delivers C-130 aircraft to IAF
17 Dec 2010
US aerospace and defence giant Lockheed Martin has handed over the first batch of six state-of-the-art C-130J military transport aircraft to the Indian Air Force, giving a big boost to India's air power.
The new fleet comes under a $1.2-billion US Foreign Military Sale (India's first) agreement with the US signed 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 programmes.
"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," he said.
The Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules aircraft is the most sophisticated airlifter ever built. The aircraft combines state-of-the-art aerospace technology with a proven, rugged airframe design, to offer the operators additional capability coupled with greater operational efficiency.
The Super Hercules that has been delivered to the IAF is the "stretched" variant of the C-130J. It has a longer fuselage similar to the model Lockheed delivers to the UA Air Force.
With the induction of the aircraft into to the IAF fleet, India joins the growing number of nations with C-130J that includes the US, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Italy, Norway and the UK.