India's Aerospace Manufacturing Industry Achieves Milestone As Tata Delivers 200th C-130J Super Hercules Empennage

The Tata Group has achieved a significant milestone by announcing the successful delivery of its 200th C-130J Super Hercules empennage to the US-based manufacturer Lockheed Martin.

This shows that the Indian Aerospace manufacturing ecosystem spearheaded by Tata group is slowly but surely maturing, especially after the establishment of the Airbus manufacturing facility in Vadodara to manufacture C-295 aircraft for the IAF.

Tata Lockheed Martin Aerostructures Ltd (TLMAL), a joint venture between Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, revealed that its empennages, crucial tail structures located at the rear of an aircraft, have been integrated into C-130J aircraft operated by seven nations, including India.

TLMAL holds a unique distinction as the sole global supplier of C-130J empennage assemblies, which are installed on all newly manufactured Super Hercules aircraft originating from Marietta, Georgia, in the United States.

Sukaran Singh, CEO and Managing Director of TASL, expressed immense pride in achieving the milestone of producing the 200th empennage for the C-130J in India.

He lauded the partnership's enduring excellence in manufacturing and operational prowess, developed over more than a decade.

The empennage assemblies crafted by the company encompass both horizontal and vertical stabilizers, in addition to leading edges and tip assemblies.

The TLMAL team has also previously manufactured center wing box components for legacy C-130 model aircraft, underscoring the extent of their expertise and contribution to aerospace manufacturing.

Tata Aerospace is currently engaged in the assembly of another prominent transport aircraft, the Airbus C-295, in a dedicated facility located in Vadodara, Gujarat which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi in October last year.

This assembly process involves the manufacturing of various assemblies and sub-assemblies at the TASL facility in Hyderabad, while others are manufactured at the company's Nagpur facility.

These components will then be shipped to Tata Aerospace facility in Vadodara for final integration.