NEW DELHI: India and the US are now working to finalise an “air information sharing agreement”, even as they explore opportunities under the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) for co-development and co-production of high-tech weapon systems as well as the much broader Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET).
Visiting US secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall, who met external affairs minister S Jaishankar, defence secretary Giridhar Aramane and others, on Tuesday said he “hoped to have additional pacts like the air information sharing agreement in place soon” to allow the two countries to work even more closely after the “foundational military” pacts were inked earlier.
India and the US signed the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geospatial Cooperation (BECA) in 2020, the Communications, Compatibility and Security Arrangement (COMCASA) in 2018, the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016 and the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) in 2002.
“The overarching idea is to go in for co-development and co-production, to facilitate partnerships at the level of the industries,” Kendall said, adding that the two countries had made a lot of progress in building trust.
The US government is, for instance, now considering an application by engine manufacturer General Electric to jointly produce jet engines in India.
“This is very much a step in the right direction,” Kendall said. Despite certain requirements under the “Make in India” policy on what percentage should be produced in India “can be problematic and difficult to meet”, he said he was “hopeful we can move forward”.
Visiting US secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall, who met external affairs minister S Jaishankar, defence secretary Giridhar Aramane and others, on Tuesday said he “hoped to have additional pacts like the air information sharing agreement in place soon” to allow the two countries to work even more closely after the “foundational military” pacts were inked earlier.
India and the US signed the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geospatial Cooperation (BECA) in 2020, the Communications, Compatibility and Security Arrangement (COMCASA) in 2018, the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016 and the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) in 2002.
“The overarching idea is to go in for co-development and co-production, to facilitate partnerships at the level of the industries,” Kendall said, adding that the two countries had made a lot of progress in building trust.
The US government is, for instance, now considering an application by engine manufacturer General Electric to jointly produce jet engines in India.
“This is very much a step in the right direction,” Kendall said. Despite certain requirements under the “Make in India” policy on what percentage should be produced in India “can be problematic and difficult to meet”, he said he was “hopeful we can move forward”.