US defense sales to India have grown exponentially over the past 10 years, Pentagon official says
Washington:
The United States and India are negotiating a co-development program for the air-launched unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a senior Pentagon official said.
Addressing the India Ideas Summit hosted by the US-India Business Council on Tuesday, the senior Pentagon official said the US Air Force’s research labs had signed a research cooperation agreement and development with an Indian startup to support the development of the aerial drone. .
“I would like to highlight a very exciting project that we are negotiating – the unmanned aerial vehicle or air-launched UAV will be a co-development program between the research laboratories of the US Air Force, the Indian Air Force, the Indian Defense Research and Development Organization. , and … an Indian start-up, ”said Ellen M Lord, Under-Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment.
Pentagon contact for the ambitious U.S.-India Defense Technology and Commerce (DTTI) initiative, Ms Lord said they plan to hold the next DTTI group meeting in the week of September 14 and the second meeting of the DTTI industrial collaboration forum the one week before.
Often described as the Pentagon’s main arms buyer, Ms Lord said US-India defense cooperation has made great strides in recent years.
This cooperation has led to closer relations between the two governments and has also increased stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
Noting that US defense sales to India have grown exponentially over the past 10 years, she said the United States is striving to become India’s first choice for defense solutions.
The past year has seen many firsts at DTTI, she said, adding that the first co-development project agreement is being negotiated.
The first industrial cooperation forum has taken place, she said. She also announced the publication of the industry guide for participation with DTTI.
“Industrial cooperation is a key area of interest for the future of defense collaboration and we believe that this industry orientation will increase industrial collaboration under DDTI,” she said.
“The United States welcomes any partnership that improves United States national security objectives, reduces defense procurement costs and leads to greater supply chain stability,” Lord said. .
Noting that the US government has reviewed and commented on India’s Defense Procurement Procedure or DPP, Lord said he was encouraged to see the procedures for loans and leases added.
“The United States is aware that many countries, including India, use offsetting in defense sales. The US government will not participate in any compensation negotiations between industry and a foreign government.
“We encourage all governments to ensure that compensation processes are transparent and applied equally to all competitors,” Lord said.
