HYDERABAD : Tata Lockheed Martin Aerostructures Limited (TLMAL), a joint venture between Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Lockheed Martin, on Wednesday launched metal-to-metal bonding facility in Hyderabad, a first in the country. The metal-to-metal bonding facility, spread over 4,700 square metres, would add cutting-edge capability to the Indian aerospace industry and enable TASL to use this technology across manufacturing programmes for complex aerostructure productions and increased indigenisation. More than 80 skilled employees will work in this facility, which can be expanded further, the company said in a release.
TLMAL is also increasing the indigenisation of C-130 manufacturing by transitioning the production of approximately 2,000 previously imported empennage parts to Tata Sikorsky Aerospace Ltd, another Tata-Lockheed Martin JV. These parts were previously manufactured by suppliers located outside of India. The new facility and capacity expansion are expected to create new job opportunities for skilled workers in India’s manufacturing sector.
“Given the C-130J’s worldwide presence, it is fitting that one of its core components is the result of a strong global partnership that we have with India, Tata and TLMAL,” said George Shultz, VP & GM, Air Mobility and Maritime Missions, Lockheed Martin, after inaugurating the facility.
“We are delighted to expand the scope of our partnership with Lockheed Martin, a testament of TASL’s increasing capabilities in complex aerostructure manufacturing. It is a matter of pride that aerostructure components manufactured at our Indian facility are an integral part of the world’s most successful and advanced tactical air-lifter, which is also being used by the Indian Air Force,” said Sukaran Singh, MD & CEO, TASL.