A major Indian multinational conglomerate is in talks with Sikorsky Aircraft”™s parent company, Lockheed Martin, for the manufacture of the Sikorsky S-76 helicopter in India.
According to the India-based Times Now, the Tata Group”™s proposal to build the S-76 locally would be one of the largest deals in the history of India”™s aviation sector and would be part of the government”™s Make in India initiative to encourage local manufacturing over imports. If the deal is finalized, it could be a multi-billion-dollar pact.
The medium-sized Sikorsky S-76 is used in civilian and military sectors all over the world, with military usage in the U.K., Japan, Spain, Saudi Arabia and Argentina. This deal would the latest endeavor by the Tata Group in aviation manufacturing, following its partnership with Airbus to manufacture the C-295 transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force at Vadodara in Gujarat.
Photo courtesy of Sikorsky
That’s rather unAmerican!