US fighter jet maker Lockheed Martin is ready to manufacture F-16 aircraft in India, and is in support of the ongoing talks between the two countries to set up the first manufacturing facility, which will become the biggest projects under the 'Make in India' initiative.
Phil Shaw, chief executive of Lockheed Martin India Pvt Ltd, said, “We are ready to manufacture F-16 in India and support the Make in India initiative.” However, he did not commit to any time-frame to get the plant operational, saying the group supports the ongoing government-to-government talks. Shaw also expressed a strong interest in having the F-16 ready “soon”. The company currently manufactures one jet a month from its plant in the US and has a series of contracts and joint ventures in India with over 1,000 employees. It supplied six C13OJ Super Hercules planes to India in 2011 and will deliver six helicopters next year. Sources from the industry said Lockheed Martin's “wish to manufacture F-16 is based on the strong demand from the Indian armed forces and would want to lower the cost of the planes for exports by using the low-cost capability in India.”
A source said, “Certainly, Lockheed Martin would want to exploit the engineering skill and low cost capabilities in India and make F-16 very competitive in the fighter jet markets. Both the US government and Lockheed Martin see the advantage of placing a manufacturing base in India and make F-16 affordable for emerging markets.” The making of the planes will be one of the biggest projects under the Make in India programme, and will be conditional to the Indian government making contractual commitment to buy the fighter jets for its armed forces. “Washington, in return, would ensure technology transfer to the Indian engineering sector and a huge boost to Indian exports,” he said.
If the two government reach an agreement this year or 2017, putting aside all differences on the mega project and the US’ move to supply eight F-16 to Pakistan, Lockheed Martin could roll out the first made in India jet in 2019-2020, said the source.
