February 5, 2011, will always be remembered as a ‘red-letter’ day by the Indian Air Force (IAF) as it formally inducted the first of the six Lockheed Martin C-130J aircraft on order into service at Hindon Air Force base near Delhi. The eventful day also marked many milestones achieved by the IAF in its quest for modernisation and capability accretion. For example, the induction enabled the IAF to finally begin to realise its long-cherished dream of acquiring an exclusive ‘Special Operations’ capability. The event also enabled Lockheed Martin to make a re-entry into the IAF after a long hiatus of more than three decades since the retirement of the ‘Super Constellation’ from its inventory. Equally remarkable however is the induction of the ‘Super Herc’s’ state-of-the-art AE2100D3 turboprops, taking the IAF/Rolls-Royce union to yet another level; cementing further their already strong and evergreen relationship.

To recall, Rolls-Royce aero engines have been inextricably linked with the IAF for a major part of its history starting from World War II — from Hurricanes and Spitfires with their ‘Merlin’ piston engines through Hunter aircraft’s ‘Avon’ to the present-day Jaguars with their ‘Adour’ engines. The Rolls-Royce union with the IAF is however not limited to the latter’s combat aircraft—fighters and bombers—alone. The Avro 748 in service with the IAF for more than four decades and still going strong, sports twin Rolls-Royce Dart engines. Even the indigenous basic jet trainer Kiran Mk I, developed by HAL and extensively used by the IAF in the training role, mounted Rolls-Royce Viper engine as its source of power. The latest Hawk AJTs also fly on Rolls-Royce engines.

Powered by four AE2100D3 engines, the C-130J is ideally suited to India’s mission environment. The Rolls-Royce engines make it possible for the C-130J to operate with significant loads under ‘high and hot’ conditions—a most desirable trait to enable the IAF to operate productively around the year (including summer months) from high-altitudes located in Ladakh and other areas such as Leh, Thoise, Nyoma and Kargil. At a later date, even DBO (Daulat Beg Oldie at a height of 16,500 ft amsl) could be added to this list to repeat the 1962 feat accomplished by another US-built aircraft. However, while the Fairchild C-119G packet needed an extra dorsal-mounted jetpack for thrust augmentation, the Super Hercules would surely do it under its own power.