Lockheed Martin, Tata Sign Deal to Produce F-16 Fighters in India
The US-India partnership supports the 'Make in India' initiative to develop private aerospace and defense manufacturing capacity in India
Dan Arkin
| 21/06/2017
Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) has signed an agreement with Lockheed Martin to produce F-16 Block 70 fighter aircraft in India. The deal was announced during the Paris Air Show taking place this week in Le Bourget.
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics executive vice-president Orlando Carvalho said: “Our partnership significantly strengthens the F-16 'Make in India' offer, creates and maintains numerous new job opportunities in India and the US, and brings the world’s most combat-proven multi-role fighter aircraft to India."
The F-16 Block 70 could cater to single-engine fighter needs of the Indian Air Force. The aircraft combines structural and capability upgrades, such as the active electronically scanned array radar with a new avionics architecture.
The Block 70 software is claimed to further improve the aircraft’s capabilities through an advanced datalink, precision GPS navigation, and automatic ground collision avoidance system.
The latest F-16 production partnership is expected to support thousands of Lockheed Martin and F-16 supplier jobs in the US, in addition to creating new manufacturing jobs in India. The Lockheed Martin-TASL F-16 partnering agreement builds on TASL's proven performance manufacturing airframe components for the C-130J airlifter and the S-92 helicopter.
With more than 4,500 produced and approximately 3,200 operational aircraft worldwide being flown today by 26 countries, the F-16 is considered the world's most successful, combat-proven multi-role fighter ever produced.
[Sources: Airforce Technology, NDTV]
The US-India partnership supports the 'Make in India' initiative to develop private aerospace and defense manufacturing capacity in India
Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) has signed an agreement with Lockheed Martin to produce F-16 Block 70 fighter aircraft in India. The deal was announced during the Paris Air Show taking place this week in Le Bourget.
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics executive vice-president Orlando Carvalho said: “Our partnership significantly strengthens the F-16 'Make in India' offer, creates and maintains numerous new job opportunities in India and the US, and brings the world’s most combat-proven multi-role fighter aircraft to India."
The F-16 Block 70 could cater to single-engine fighter needs of the Indian Air Force. The aircraft combines structural and capability upgrades, such as the active electronically scanned array radar with a new avionics architecture.
The Block 70 software is claimed to further improve the aircraft’s capabilities through an advanced datalink, precision GPS navigation, and automatic ground collision avoidance system.
The latest F-16 production partnership is expected to support thousands of Lockheed Martin and F-16 supplier jobs in the US, in addition to creating new manufacturing jobs in India. The Lockheed Martin-TASL F-16 partnering agreement builds on TASL's proven performance manufacturing airframe components for the C-130J airlifter and the S-92 helicopter.
With more than 4,500 produced and approximately 3,200 operational aircraft worldwide being flown today by 26 countries, the F-16 is considered the world's most successful, combat-proven multi-role fighter ever produced.
[Sources: Airforce Technology, NDTV]
