Pending defence sales figure in India-US talks
The focus of the talks will be on increased defence industrial cooperation including the co-production of Javelin missiles and Stryker armoured combat vehicles.
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth expressed the hope that Washington would clear several pending defence sales to India in the near future, during a meeting with external affairs minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday.
“The United States is very pleased with the successful integration of many US defence items into India’s inventory. And building on this progress, we hope we can complete several major pending US defence sales to India, expand our shared defence industrial cooperation and co-production efforts, strengthen interoperability ... between our forces, and then formally sign a new 10-year framework for the US-India Major Defence Partnership ... which we hope to do very soon,” Hegseth was quoted as saying by the Department of Defence.
At present, India is looking for the execution of two key defence projects with America. The first is the quick delivery of GE F404 fighter jet engines for India’s Tejas MK1A Light Combat Aircraft. In 2021, India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited ordered 99 F404 engines from General Electric. So far, GE Aerospace has delivered only the first of 99 F404 engines to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Tejas Mk-1A fighters and is now ramping up production to fulfill the Indian order. These engines are designated for the 83 Mk-1A aircraft ordered by the Indian Air Force for ₹48,000 crore in February 2021. The Indian Air Force is also planning to place an additional order for 97 Mk-1A jets, estimated at around ₹67,000 crore.
The second key project India hopes to push with America is the speedy execution of a deal between HAL and GE Aerospace for the joint production of GE F414 engines, which are expected to power India’s more advanced Tejas LCA Mk-2 fighter jet programme. The deal will involve 80% transfer of technology (ToT) and is estimated to be worth around $1 billion.
Hegseth’s meeting with Jaishankar followed a telephonic call with defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday. Hegseth and Singh agreed to meet in-person after the former invited the defence minister to visit the United States.
The focus of India-US defence cooperation will be on increased defence industrial cooperation, including the co-production of Javelin missiles and Stryker armoured combat vehicles. Greater defence interoperability and increased joint military exercises will also be a key focus, according to India’s Ministry of Defence.
During his meeting with Hegseth, S Jaishankar pointed to progress in the bilateral defence relationship through the recent signing of the Security of Supply Agreement, cooperation in underwater domain awareness and the new INDUS-X defence industrial initiative.
“The world is a complicated place and perhaps growing in its complexity. And certainly our partnership and the contribution that we can make together, I think, would be of immense importance, not just for us, I think, but for the larger region and I would even argue for the world,” Jaishankar told Hegseth.
