The Hindu : National : HAL signs pact with Lockheed Martin

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 09, 2005

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National

HAL signs pact with Lockheed Martin

By Rasheed Kappan

BANGALORE, FEB. 8. In a significant development, the State-owned aviation major, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), signed on Tuesday a non-disclosure agreement with the American aerospace giant, Lockheed Martin. This could be a precursor to the potential sale of the U.S. company's P-3 Orion maritime reconnaissance aircraft to India.

Confirming the signing of the pact to The Hindu , HAL said the agreement was part of an internal convention to safeguard information on joint development, technology transfer and upgrading packages in the event of a sale. The agreement could pave the way for potential licensed production by HAL of aircraft procured from Lockheed Martin.

Lockheed Martin has also offered India its C-130J Hercules heavy-lift aircraft, capable of operating from rough dirt stops and used as prime transport for air dropping troops and equipment into hostile areas.

Eyeing a speedy closure of the deal, the company brought in the C-130J and P-3C Orion for static display at the international aerospace exhibition, Aero India, with its dual-role combat aircraft F15-E Strike Eagle and the KC-135 Stratotanker.

No navigational aids

The company is said to have had several rounds of talks with Indian officials for the sale of about 10 of the C-130J aircraft, promoting them as being ideal for counter-terrorist operations, particularly in preventing hijacks.

The aircraft could fly without navigational aids and operate from short and unprepared runways. If an acquisition deal comes through, the aircraft would eventually replace the AN-32s, the mainstay of the Indian Air Force transport fleet with more than a 100 of them in service.

P3 Orion aircraft

It is learnt that India and the U.S. are negotiating at the government-level to purchase the P3 Orion aircraft. The American Navy had offered to sell the P3C to the Indian Navy.

During Aero India 2003, the company had offered even the F-16 aircraft to replace India's MiG 21 fighter jets, before promoting the F-15E Strike Eagle, an aircraft designed to perform air-to-air and air-to-ground missions even at low altitude, inclement weather and during night.

Two of these aircraft landed at Bangalore's Yelahanka Air Force Station on Tuesday.

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