Tata and Lockheed Martin launch 1st C-130J Super Hercules MRO hub in India
December 9, 2025
India’s Tata Advanced Systems and Lockheed Martin have begun construction of a new Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility for the C-130J Super Hercules in Bengaluru, the first such depot-level hub outside the United States and Europe.
The development gives India a strategic role in sustaining one of the world’s most widely used military transport aircraft. It boosts the Indian Air Force (IAF) readiness and opens new support avenues for regional operators.
The groundbreaking ceremony brought together senior IAF officials, representatives from central and state governments, and executives from both companies, underscoring the strategic weight of the initiative.
“This new C-130 MRO facility strengthens our foundation,” said Frank St. John, Chief Operating Officer, Lockheed Martin. “It brings world-class sustainment capability into India, improves readiness for the Indian Air Force, and creates opportunities that will support regional and global C-130 operators.”
India builds first overseas C-130J MRO hub
The IAF currently operates 12 C-130J-30s, proven in high-altitude missions at Daulat Beg Oldi in the Himalayas and at other forward airfields where the Super Hercules’ performance is unmatched.
A domestic depot facility removes the need to send aircraft overseas for heavy maintenance, sharply reducing downtime.
The new centre will support the full depth of C-130 sustainment, including:
- Depot-level and heavy maintenance
- Component repairs and overhaul
- Structural inspections and restoration
- Avionics upgrades
- Advanced test capabilities
It will be part of Lockheed Martin’s global Certified Service Centre network and is planned to eventually support KC-130J and legacy C-130B–H variants, positioning India as a sustainment hub for friendly air forces across the Indian Ocean Region and beyond.
Construction is due to complete in late 2026, with the first aircraft entering full MRO operations in early 2027.
Tata–Lockheed partnership strengthens India’s aerospace industrial base
The project builds on a long-standing industrial partnership. Tata Advanced Systems has already delivered more than 250 empennages for the C-130J through its joint venture Tata Lockheed Martin Aerostructures Ltd (TLMAL), making India the exclusive global source for this major airframe assembly.
For Tata Advanced Systems CEO and Managing Director Sukaran Singh, the new facility marks a decisive shift.
“This milestone represents India’s growing confidence in shaping its own defence future,” he said. “The MRO venture strengthens our aerospace ecosystem with new opportunities for innovation, skill development, and global competitiveness.”
It signals India’s evolution from a key manufacturing contributor to a full-spectrum sustainment partner.
Strategic timing as India evaluates its 80-aircraft medium transport programme
The facility comes as Lockheed Martin and Tata are pitching the C-130J for the IAF’s forthcoming requirement for around 80 medium transport aircraft, one of India’s largest aviation competitions of the decade.
The more C-130s India fields, the greater the value unlocked from an indigenous sustainment hub that shortens logistical cycles and improves availability.
The C-130J family is used by 27 operators in 23 nations and has accumulated more than three million flight hours across over 19 mission types, from special operations and maritime patrol to humanitarian relief. Since 2011, the IAF has demonstrated capabilities unique to the Super Hercules, including:
- Landings at some of the world’s highest airfields
- Precision operations in extreme weather and terrain
- Critical night-time humanitarian missions
These achievements underline the importance of sustainment closer to home.
Why a domestic C-130J hub matters for the Indo-Pacific fleet
The Bengaluru hub could become a key logistics anchor for operators across the Indo-Pacific, improving resilience amid growing regional security demands.
Rod McLean, Vice President and General Manager, Lockheed Martin Air Mobility & Maritime Missions, noted: “This facility will bolster response time and security in the Pacific, ensure world-class sustainment capability within India, and advance sustainment for the global C-130J fleet.”
The project will generate high-skilled engineering roles and deepen India’s aerospace supply chain through:
- Dedicated training pipelines for maintainers and engineers
- Technology transfer in structural repair and avionics disciplines
- New opportunities for Indian SMEs to join the C-130 ecosystem
Its long-term contribution will extend well beyond the IAF, turning sustainment expertise into an exportable service capability.
A new chapter in US-India defence collaboration
For more than 30 years, Lockheed Martin has worked with India across aerospace and defence. The establishment of the C-130J MRO hub is one of the most strategically consequential milestones in that partnership.
With construction underway and regional operators watching closely, India’s new sustainment centre is poised to become a key pillar of the Super Hercules’ future, keeping the world’s most versatile airlifter mission-ready and placing India firmly at the heart of its global support network.
