Tata Advanced Systems breaks ground on C-130J MRO facility in Bengaluru

MRO operations will start in early 2027

Tata Advanced Systems and US defence major Lockheed Martin on Monday broke ground on a defence maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in Bengaluru, intended to support the Indian Air Force’s (IAF’s) C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft, with the potential to provide sustainment for aircraft operating across the wider region and even globally.

 

According to a joint release by the companies, construction of the facility will be completed by end-2026, with the first C-130 expected to arrive for MRO operations in early 2027. Tata Advanced Systems will play a central role in operating the new facility. 

The facility will join Lockheed Martin’s global network of Certified Service Centers. The release added that it will be strategically positioned to service not only the C-130J Super Hercules, but also the KC-130J and the C-130 B–H legacy aircraft in the future. 

The C-130 MRO facility will not only provide depot-level and heavy maintenance, as well as component repair, overhaul, and structural checks and testing, but will also enable avionics upgrades and expanded training for Indian engineers and maintainers. Crucially, it will also create new opportunities for Indian suppliers across the C-130 supply chain. 

In partnership with Lockheed Martin, Tata Advanced Systems has been manufacturing C-130 empennages and other aerostructure assemblies in India. Just last week, Tata Lockheed Martin Aerostructures Limited (TLMAL) delivered the 250th C-130J tail.

 

“For more than seven decades, we’ve grown alongside India’s expanding aerospace and defence industrial base. This new C-130 MRO facility strengthens that foundation. It brings world-class sustainment capability into India, improves readiness for the IAF, and creates opportunities that will support regional and global C-130 operators,” said Lockheed Martin Chief Operating Officer Frank St John, adding, “We remain committed to building capability for India and from India for decades to come.”

 

Commenting on the occasion, Sukaran Singh, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Tata Advanced Systems, said, “This milestone marks more than the establishment of a new facility—it represents India’s growing confidence and capability in shaping its own defence future. The MRO venture strengthens our aerospace ecosystem, creating a foundation for innovation, skill development, and global competitiveness.”

 

Since the arrival of India’s first C-130J in 2011, IAF crews have demonstrated capabilities such as landing at the world’s highest airfield and conducting night operations in adverse weather. The IAF currently operates a fleet of 12 C-130Js. Globally, the C-130J fleet spans 23 nations and comprises more than 560 aircraft.