The Pak Banker

Lockheed Martin offers to build F-16, helicopter­s and UAVs in India

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MUMBAI: US defence contractor Lockheed Martin Corp. has offered to build its flagship F-16 fighter jets, C130J Super Hercules military transport planes and helicopter­s in India. The American company is keen to make F-16V, the advanced fourth generation fighter jet in India, provided positive results emerge out of India-US talks next month, Lockheed Martin executives said. India and the US are set to hold government-to-government discussion­s in mid April.

"We are bullish about the prospects," said Randy Howard, director F-16, business developmen­t at Lockheed Martin. F-16s are made in multiple countries and the company would not hesitate to set up the final assembly line of these fighter jets in India, Howard said.

Abhay Paranjpe, director business developmen­t at Lockheed Martin Aeronautic­s Co., said the quality of talent, maintainin­g time schedule and low cost are the key driving factors for the company to consider moving the manufactur­ing to India. Paranjpe said Lockheed Martin is aiming at making India a manufactur­ing base for its fighter jets, helicopter­s and unmanned aerial vehicles under the Make In India programme. India is now importing 60% of its defence requiremen­ts while local production is at the heart of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Make In India programme.

Several manufactur­ers, including Airbus Group, Boeing Co. and Saab AB, are looking to set up manufactur­ing plants in India if they secure orders. Paranjpe said the US and Indian government­s are negotiatin­g the deal. India needs to replace many of Indian Air Force's 650 planes-a third of which are more than 40 years old. Paranjpe said the company has got orders for six additional C-130Js Super Hercules aircraft and it will be delivered in 2017.

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