US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on June 5.6
Reuters reported that the roadmap for cooperation in the defense industry was agreed during a meeting between US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on June 5.6.
The agreement comes before Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Washington DC on June 22.6 for an official state visit and talks with US President Joe Biden.
The route is seen as important as Washington maintains tight control over what domestic military technology can be shared or sold to other countries.
The Indian Defense Ministry's statement said the discussions between Mr Singh and Mr Austin were "particularly focused on identifying ways of enhancing industrial cooperation".
“Both sides will identify opportunities for joint development of new technologies as well as co-production of existing and new systems, and facilitate enhanced cooperation between startup ecosystems in the field of technology. defense sector of the two countries," the statement said.
"Towards these goals, the two sides have agreed on a roadmap for US-India Defense Industry Cooperation to help guide policy for the next few years," the Indian Defense Ministry said.
The United States is working to strengthen ties with India, considering closer technological and military links with the world's most populous nation as the main counterweight to China's expanding influence in the region. according to Reuters.
India, the world's largest arms importer, depends on Russia for about 50% of its military equipment supply, but is also increasingly diversifying its supply through purchases from the US, France, Israel and a few other countries. number of other countries.
New Delhi also wants global defense manufacturers to cooperate with Indian companies, producing weapons and military equipment in India for domestic consumption as well as export.
The Biden administration is set to sign an agreement that will allow General Electric to manufacture aircraft engines in India to supply the country's military planes.
Minister Austin said he and Minister Singh discussed ways to increase information sharing as well as new initiatives to improve maritime cooperation, including in the undersea sector.
The Pentagon chief told reporters that the US-India defense partnership is important because "we face a rapidly changing world", citing the actions of the US military. China and Russia.
“So democracies must now rally together not only for the common good, but also for our common values,” Austin said.
