New Delhi: Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) is moving closer to a definitive agreement with India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for licensed production of the SJ-100 regional jet in India, while US defence major Lockheed Martin is separately seeking to expand its partnership with India by offering co-development of a next-generation Javelin anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) tailored to the requirements of the Indian Army.
The two developments highlight parallel efforts involving Russia and the United States to deepen aerospace and defence manufacturing cooperation with India, with both UAC and Lockheed Martin looking to establish a stronger industrial presence through Indian partnerships.
Russia’s UAC moves closer to SJ-100 production agreement with HAL
UAC General Director Vadim Badekha said that negotiations with HAL over the SJ-100 regional passenger aircraft have progressed substantially, with more than 80 per cent of the required documentation already settled. Speaking at the Innoprom India forum on February 28, Badekha had already indicated that the remaining work could be completed soon and that the agreement between Russia’s UAC and India’s HAL is nearing signature.
Badekha said more than 80 per cent of the documentation had been completed and expressed the expectation that the agreement would be signed “quite soon”. He also said he hoped the first Indian order for the Russian SJ-100 would be signed with its first Indian operator during Aero India 2027.
The proposed arrangement would move the SJ-100 project beyond preliminary discussions and documentation towards an operational industrial partnership between UAC and HAL. Under the broader cooperation framework, HAL is expected to support the SJ-100’s certification for operation in India, while UAC would provide HAL with a licence for domestic production, sales and maintenance of the aircraft.
The cooperation between Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation and India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is not new. The two companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the SJ-100 in Moscow in October. This was followed by a more detailed collaboration agreement that established the basic parameters of their cooperation and committed both sides to assist each other in obtaining Indian certification for the aircraft.
Under the proposed industrial arrangement, UAC would also provide engineers to support HAL in establishing and developing the manufacturing infrastructure required for SJ-100 production in India.
Il-114-300 turboprop talks also advance
Alongside the SJ-100 programme, Russia’s UAC is also pursuing cooperation with India on the Il-114-300 turboprop aircraft. Discussions on the Russian turboprop intensified around the Wings India airshow in January, with UAC indicating its intention to conclude an agreement at Innoprom India.
The Il-114-300 is being positioned as a complementary aircraft to the SJ-100 rather than a direct replacement for the Russian regional jet. Badekha described it as an aircraft suited to routes where operating a jet would not be economically viable.
According to Badekha, actual production of the SJ-100 in India could begin roughly three years from now. Once HAL transitions from licensed arrangements to local aircraft manufacturing, production could eventually reach between 20 and 40 SJ-100 aircraft annually. A potentially localised Il-114-300 programme could add another 30 to 40 aircraft per year in the medium term.
The projected production figures could enable HAL to accelerate India’s emergence as a regional hub for aircraft manufacturing, strengthening domestic aerospace capabilities, creating industrial capacity and opening opportunities to serve growing aviation demand in India and the wider Indian Ocean region.
Lockheed Martin offers India next-generation Javelin ATGM
At the same time, US defence company Lockheed Martin is seeking a deeper partnership with India through a proposed next-generation Javelin anti-tank guided missile. Lockheed Martin has already secured a contract to supply 60 Javelin ATGMs to the Indian Army through the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route.
The proposed next-generation Javelin programme would go beyond the existing third-generation FGM-148 Javelin and could involve co-development with Indian industry. The new fifth-generation anti-tank guided missile is being offered for Indian infantry requirements and could incorporate advanced sensor fusion, Dual-Mode Colour TV and an uncooled infrared (IR) seeker.
According to information reported by Indian Defence Research Wing (IDRW), Lockheed Martin is interested in developing a more India-specific next-generation Javelin variant. IDRW reported that Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) has already signed an agreement with the Javelin Joint Venture (JJV), a partnership between Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, to collaborate on the Javelin all-up round (AUR).
The proposed fifth-generation Javelin could provide capabilities beyond those of the current FGM-148 Javelin, which is a battle-proven third-generation ATGM. Potential features of the next-generation missile could include Anti-Tank, Anti-Infrastructure and Anti-Personnel modes, along with Lock-On Before Launch (LOBL) and Lock-On After Launch (LOAL).
The proposal also comes as India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is advancing its own infantry anti-tank missile programme. DRDO is developing a soldier-fired ATGM based on the third-generation Fire-and-Forget Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM), developed by the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad.
The Indian MPATGM has already cleared developmental trials and is expected to proceed to user trials with the Indian Army.
Together, the UAC-HAL SJ-100 programme and Lockheed Martin’s proposed next-generation Javelin cooperation point to competing but parallel models of defence and aerospace engagement with India that Russia’s UAC is seeking licensed production and eventual local manufacturing of a regional jet and turboprop, while Lockheed Martin is seeking deeper Indian participation in the development of an advanced infantry anti-tank missile.
