Lockheed Martin and Tata Group have reached an agreement to begin the implementation of fighter wing production at the companies’ joint venture, Tata Lockheed Martin Aerostructures Limited (TLMAL), in Hyderabad, India. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) envisions production of 29 fighter wing shipsets, with an option of additional shipsets, and deliveries commencing in 2025.

Lockheed Martin formally recognised TLMAL as a potential co-producer of fighter wings in October 2021 following TLMAL’s successful production and qualification of a prototype fighter wing shipset. That achievement further strengthened Lockheed Martin’s partnership with India; and supports its F-21 offering for procurement of 114 new fighter aircraft — exclusively for India and the Indian Air Force — by proving additional indigenous production capability. The India F-21 represents an unprecedented strategic and economic opportunity for the United States-India relationship to future advanced technology cooperation.