India, US finalise ambitious roadmap to fast-track defence tech transfer
   Date :06-Jun-2023

India, US 
 
 
Delhi Bureau and Agencies
NEW DELHI, 
 
INDIA and the US on Monday concluded an ambitious roadmap for defence industrial cooperation to fast track technology tie-ups and co-production of military platforms such as air combat and land systems, a move that comes in the wake of China’s increasingly aggressive behaviour in the Indo-Pacific region.
The new framework for cooperation was finalised during talks between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his visiting American counterpart Lloyd Austin, two weeks ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Washington. Singh and Austin also decided to initiate negotiations on a framework for the security of supply arrangement and a reciprocal defence procurement agreement, which will promote long-term supply chain stability.
The US Defence Secretary said the US-India cooperation matters “because we all face a rapidly changing world. We see bullying and coercion from the People’s Republic of China and Russian aggression against Ukraine that seeks to redraw borders and threatens national sovereignty.” The Pentagon said the initiative aims to change the “paradigm” for cooperation between the US and Indian defence sectors, including the implementation of a set of specific proposals that could provide India access to cutting-edge technologies and support its defence modernisation plans.
It is learnt that Singh and Austin also touched upon General Electric’s proposal to share technology with India for fighter jet engines and New Delhi’s plan to procure 30 MQ-9B armed drones for over USD 3 billion from US defence major General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. The jet engine deal is likely to be announced during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the US. People familiar with the matter said both projects will be part of the roadmap that will also provide for cooperation in areas of intelligence sharing, surveillance and reconnaissance, munitions and the undersea domain.