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| CGI of the Lockheed Martin F-16IN offering for the MMRCA |
By: Aaron Mehta
WASHINGTON – As the Trump administration focuses on a pro-American industrial policy, Lockheed Martin is keeping a close eye on what that might mean for plans to build F-16 fighters in India.
For now, company officials are staying positive about the chances that they will be allowed to go through with a plan to open a production line for the F-16 in India. But they acknowledge that the change in administration may require a shift in plans.
“We’re working closely with the administration to understand what is [their] policy towards a program like the Indian fighter recapitalization program,” Orlando Carvalho, executive vice president of the company's aeronautics division, said in an interview Tuesday.
“The indications we have heard have been positive. From the Defense Department, from the State Department, the indications are that they are supportive of what the Indian government wants to do. But we’re working with the administration to understand that,” Carvalho added.
John Rood, Lockheed’s international senior vice president, added that the company has briefed the new administration on the potential F-16 plan, but noted that any timeline for a final decision rests with the Indian government more than the U.S. administration.
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