Lockheed Martin continues to engage with the IAF to understand customer requirements and offer relevant capabilities and solutions that are, like the C-130J, proven and without equal

The year 2008 marked a watershed in Indo-US relations with India placing an order for six C-130J Super Hercules four-engine military transport aircraft, the first military purchase from the US in four decades through a foreign military sale (FMS) agreement between the Governments of the US and India. All six C-130J Super Hercules aircraft were delivered to the Indian Air Force (IAF) in 2010 and 2011 under budget and ahead of schedule. The IAF officially began its C-130J operations in 2011.

The Indian Government then issued a letter of request for an additional six C-130J aircraft to which the US Government has responded with a letter of offer and acceptance. The process for finalising the order between the two governments is at an advanced stage. Recently, the Indian Ministry of Defence has accorded approval for the follow-on order.

This contract was India’s first experience with the C-130 and the total purchase package was comprehensive. The contract included the six aircraft, aircrew and maintenance technician training, spare parts, ground support and test equipment, servicing carts, forklifts, loading vehicles, cargo pallets and a team of the US technical specialists based in India during a three-year initial support period. Also included in the package was India-unique operational equipment designed to increase special operations capabilities.

The C-130J is ideally suited to India’s mission environment which often involves operating out of austere, high-elevation airstrips, semi-prepared surfaces and temperature extremes. The C-130J is powered by four Rolls-Royce AE2100 turboprop engines and Dowty six-bladed propellers that provide the aircraft tremendous power.

The IAF’s C-130J Super Hercules aircraft feature a highly integrated and sophisticated configuration primarily designed to support India’s special operations requirements. Equipped with an infrared detection set (IDS), the aircrew can perform precision low-level flights, airdrops and landings in blackout conditions. Self-protection systems and other features were included to ensure aircraft survival in hostile air defence environments. The aircraft is also equipped with air-to-air receiver refuelling capability for extended range operations. The IAF’s fleet of six combat delivery C-130Js is operated by 77 Squadron at the Air Force Station, Hindon.

The IAF may be one of the newest C-130J Super Hercules operators, but lately, it’s been one of the busiest, especially this past summer. The IAF has shown tremendous confidence in the C-130J utilising and showcasing its capabilities in various adverse situations. In June, the IAF deployed one of its C-130J to evacuate 244 people stranded in Uttarakhand by the devastating floods in the area. In August, an IAF C-130J was in the news again when a Veiled Vipers squadron crew landed a Super Hercules at Daulat Beg Oldie airstrip.

The C-130 Hercules knows austere airstrips. The rugged workhorse was designed to handle landing in the dirt and has done so successfully for almost 60 years. But the landing at Daulat Beg Oldie took austere to a new level, literally. Daulat Beg Oldie’s dirt runway has the distinction of being the world’s highest airstrip, located at 16,614 feet in a remote area of the Himalayan mountains. This landing marked the first time any aircraft in this weight class had landed at Daulat Beg Oldie. It’s certainly a record for the Veiled Vipers crew operating the aircraft and a new mark for the worldwide C-130J fleet.

Making history isn’t new for the IAF’s C-130Js. In 2011, one of IAF Super Hercules fleet’s first missions was a deployment to support relief operations in Sikkim after the massive earthquake in the treacherous Himalayan mountain region. This marked the first time a C-130 had ever landed in the region. From the highest of heights to the wettest of floods, IAF crew show that India’s six C-130Js are ready for any mission, anywhere, anytime.

Lockheed Martin continues to engage with the IAF to understand customer requirements and offer relevant capabilities and solutions that are, like the C-130J, proven and without equal.