US Ambassador Sergio Gor visited the Tata-Lockheed Martin facility in Hyderabad on Monday, a joint venture between the two companies that is in the race for the multi-billion-dollar project to manufacture 60 medium-sized transport aircraft in India.Tata and Lockheed Martin manufacture some parts of the C-130J aircraft as part of its global supply chain. The aircraft, produced by Lockheed Martin, is in the race for the Rs 1 lakh crore Indian tender. The Indian Air Force has been operating the C-130J for more than a decade.Fantastic visit to the @LockheedMartin-Tata facility in Hyderabad to see advanced aerospace manufacturing firsthand. Lockheed Martin’s partnership with Tata is making India a critical link in the global C-130J production network, strengthening defense supply chains and advancing… pic.twitter.com/ozFyTm006S— Ambassador Sergio Gor (@USAmbIndia) August 24, 2026A statement issued by the two companies described Gor’s visit, saying, “The Tata Advanced Systems and Lockheed Martin partnership is stronger than ever and enters a new phase as the team works to fulfil the recently released Medium Transport Aircraft requirement.”The Ministry of Defence, on August 12, issued a tender for 60 transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force.The tender has been issued to multiple Indian companies, including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Tata and Mahindra. The Indian companies would play the lead role in partnering with a foreign manufacturer, which would bring in the required technology.The MTA programme seeks to replace the 30-year-old fleet of Soviet-origin An-32 aircraft. The MoD has issued a formal request for proposal (RFP), a document seeking commercial bids and details of the level of technology transfer on offer. The RFP would be followed by field trials and cost negotiations, leading to the signing of a contract.Meanwhile, Gor posted on his social media handle: “Tata facility in Hyderabad to see advanced aerospace manufacturing firsthand. Lockheed Martin’s partnership with Tata is making India a critical link in the global C-130J production network.”The statement from the two companies said the Ambassador toured the production line that manufactures “empennages” — a component of the C-130J Super Hercules.“The joint venture reflects an existing, established, and proven ability to produce and scale production to meet MTA competition requirements,” the company said.Sukaran Singh, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Tata Advanced Systems Limited, said, “Tata Advanced Systems’ partnership with Lockheed Martin has proven over time to supply world-class aerostructures for their key programmes, including the C-130J. This partnership has now extended to MRO, which will be operational soon.”Besides Lockheed Martin’s C-130J, the MoD has also invited bids from Brazilian company Embraer, which has offered the C-390 Millennium and teamed up with Mahindra Defence Systems.The IAF’s requirement for the MTA is to carry a payload of between 18 and 30 tonnes. The cargo bay needs to accommodate light armoured vehicles and tanks such as the indigenous 25-tonne Zorawar light tank; artillery guns such as the 155mm ultra-light howitzers (M777); BrahMos missile canisters; and Akash air defence system launcher units.The aircraft is also required for logistics operations along the northern and eastern borders, including Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. A key requirement is the ability to land and take off from short, unprepared runways.India is seeking an aircraft capable of flying at low altitudes and equipped with specialised night-navigation suites for the covert insertion and extraction of troops.