LL offer India Last F-16 Production Line

[ORAC]

LM offer India Last F-16 Production Line

If IAF picks F-16, Lockheed Martin to make it in India, for India and the world

American defense major Lockheed Martin on Thursday said it has offered to move its lone production line of the latest version of fighter aircraft F 16-Block 70 to India from Texas to meet Indian and global requirement.

Lockheed Martin says F 16-Block 70 will be the best fighter aircraft in the Indian region
However, the company made it clear the proposal is “conditional” to IAF choosing the world’s largest-sold fighter aircraft for its fleet. “The offer we have given to the Indian government is unmatched and from our side unprecedented,” Randall L Howard, F16 Business Development head at Lockheed Martin, said.

Interacting with media persons in New Delhi, Howard said the company wants to make F 16-Block 70 “for India, from India and export to the world.”........

[Heathrow Harry]

they might reply in 15 years.....................

[Pontius Navigator]

That how long it will take a thousand monkeys on the type writers?

*not racist REAL monkeys.

[Lonewolf_50]

Originally Posted by ORAC

If IAF picks F-16, Lockheed Martin to make it in India, for India and the world

American defense major Lockheed Martin on Thursday said it has offered to move its lone production line of the latest version of fighter aircraft F 16-Block 70 to India from Texas to meet Indian and global requirement.
========================================
Interacting with media persons in New Delhi, Howard said the company wants to make F 16-Block 70 “for India, from India and export to the world.”........

Good old Lockheed Martin, milking the taxpayers for the F-35 and then sending manufacturing jobs overseas. I'll suggest to the folks working up in Stratford CT (where LM's new acquisition, Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, is based) get ready to move and /or learn a foreign language.

[chopper2004]

Originally Posted by Lonewolf_50

Good old Lockheed Martin, milking the taxpayers for the F-35 and then sending manufacturing jobs overseas. I'll suggest to the folks working up in Stratford CT (where LM's new acquisition, Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, is based) get ready to move and /or learn a foreign language.

Sikorsky outsourced S-76 airframe production to Aero Vodochody in the late 90s (I dealt with Sikorsky, Aero, Keystone and HSI as was involved in 76 cowling maufacturing and prodction considering the grandfther righte lied in the former two tech directors of Bond who designed the lightweight composite cowling for the 76A then the C to replace the cumbersome horrible metal-take-half-day-to-remove ). The 76 doors had been done by us but then got oursourced to AIDC in Taiwan.

The 303 cowlings would then be shipped off to Prague assembly line - then the S-76 airframes sans engines, blades and avionics be shipped back to stateside where the former all be fitted in and role fit for specific customer.

Found out 5 years ago, S-76 airframe is now done in CHina.

Reason for the 76 outsourcing -Stratford wanted to concentrate on solely mil production - H-60 / S-70

Also in the S-70i International Blackhawk - the airframes for foreign customers are now built in PZL-Milec in Poland (my photo of Armed Blackhawk produced and assembled in Poland - at Farnborough Airshow last month)





cheers

[Lonewolf_50]

Yeah, I know, and the S-92 has parts made in 5 countries to try and get more orders from overseas customers. The S-76 and S-92 are commercial deals.

Poland is a NATO ally now. Sending them some built under license stuff is a good trade off and is good for that significant geo political issue within NATO and Europe. F-16, albeit venerable, is Military Tech, and part of the Military Industrial / Technical Base. I have some strong feelings about that which do not translate well into the commercial world.

On the other hand, I suppose if the Vipers are to keep getting built, may as well have them built somewhere nearer to where customers are than CONUS.

[Heathrow Harry]

well Lonewolf - you can protect your technology but you won't sell much - which will drive up the price of kit for the US user and lead to shorter production runs

I was always surprised that you never sold the F-22 to Israel - they can keep a secret and are pretty close allies. If you had you might still have the ability to buy a few more now

[melmothtw]

Israel - they can keep a secret and are pretty close allies.

Hmmm...

[ORAC]

I was always surprised that you never sold the F-22 to Israel - they can keep a secret

If there is one thing that is common knowledge, it's that anything sold to Israel rapidly pops up in China.

Report: Israel Passes U.S. Military Technology To China |

[Lonewolf_50]

Originally Posted by Heathrow Harry

I was always surprised that you never sold the F-22 to Israel - they can keep a secret and are pretty close allies.

And they can also sell secrets and try to steal them too. See Pollard, and see the radar warning tech the Israelis sold to the Chinese (which we had provided under the usual non transfer deal) about 15 years ago. I only trust Israel to care about Israel(which is right and proper for them to do). Glad they don't have the F-22. (I note that ORAC has provided more on that ...)

[Heathrow Harry]

Still doesn't answer the issue that if you don't sell overseas these days you finish up with a shorter, more expensive run

[Rhino power]

Originally Posted by Heathrow Harry

Still doesn't answer the issue that if you don't sell overseas these days you finish up with a shorter, more expensive run

Which in the case of the F-16, with over 4,500 airframes sold to 25 different countries (plus a short loan spell to Italy), is irrelevant. Mentioning the F-22 is also largely irrelevant since that was always likely to remain a USAF only program...

-RP

[Mil-26Man]

Still doesn't answer the issue that if you don't sell overseas these days you finish up with a shorter, more expensive run

In other words, if you don't offer your aircraft for sale you will sell fewer aircraft. Well, thanks for the insight Harry.

[Heathrow Harry]

My point was made in answer to Lonewolf's complaint /point that about sending US technology overseas........

yes, you can keep the technology at home but it has a price - which he hadn't addressed

[PhilipG]

Is LM trying to annoy The Donald?

[Hempy]

No I think the WH is hoping that the Indians will look after the Pakistani threat if they ever start rattling their sabres.

[FakePilot]

Still doesn't answer the issue that if you don't sell overseas these days you finish up with a shorter, more expensive run

Think second stage turbine.... ?