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India and US ink defence deals, agree to co-develop advanced weapon systems

India and US ink defence deals, agree to co-develop advanced weapon systems

By :  DC Correspondent
Update: 2014-08-08 09:53 GMT
While the United States is understood to be pushing for strengthening of defence ties with India, including inking of crucial deals worth billions of dollars, the two countries also dec-ided on Friday to appo-int nodal officers to co-develop and co-
Washington sees India as a key strategic partner in the face of an increasingly powerful and assertive China. India is close to finalising a $1.4 billion deal to buy at least 22 US Apache and 15 Chinook helicopters, an Indian defence official told
Hagel, who is due to meet his Indian counterpart Arun Jaitley later Friday, is in Delhi ahead of new Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first official visit to Washington in September.
Hagel said Afghanistan would also be on the agenda, as US Secretary of State John Kerry visits Kabul to try to resolve disputed elections that have raised fears of civil war. India has voiced concern about instability in Afghanistan as the United
"The point of my trip here is to take advantage of the opportunity to meet with a new Indian government," he said ahead of his arrival. "We have a number of things, specific projects that we will discuss. One is the renewal of the 10-year defence
The Modi government is eager to modernise its Soviet-era military after years of slow procurement and the collapse of deals over corruption allegations. Hagel said renewing a 10-year defence framework agreement that is due to expire next year would
US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel held talks on Friday with Sushma Swaraj at the start of a three-day visit to New Delhi aimed at boosting military trade and cooperation with the world's biggest arms importer.
US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel pays tribute at Amar Jawan Jyoti in New Delhi on Friday.
Outgoing Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel gestures during a news conference at the Pentagon (Photo: AP)
Chuck Hagel inspects a Guard of Honor before a meeting with Indian Defense Minister Arun Jaitley in New Delhi, India, Friday, Aug. 8, 2014. Hagel is on a three day official visit to India.
Modi told Hagel that he looked forward to his visit to the US "not just as an occasion to think in terms of what we can do for each other, but also as an opportunity to see how the world's oldest democracy and the world's largest democracy can build
On the bilateral front, the Prime Minister welcomed the sustained high-level engagement by the US with the new government here.
The US is keen to ink various deals with India, estimated to be worth more than Rs 20,000 crore, including the sale of Apache helicopters for the IAF and Army and Chinook heavy-lift helicopters and the M-777 ultra-light howitzers for the Indian Army.
In a separate meeting on Friday, defence minister Arun Jaitley told the visiting US dignitary about India’s growing indigenous capabilities in defence and the move to raise the FDI cap in the defence sector to 49 per cent.
The two countries could work on co-develo-ping versions of the Javelin anti-tank guided missile through transfer of technology from the US to India but the defence hardware would be decided jointly by the two countries.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, meanwhile, voiced concern over the deteriorating situation in Iraq and also said in a meeting with visiting US defence secretary Chuck Hagel that he looked forward to his summit with President Barack Obama to discuss
India and US ink defence deals, agree to co-develop advanced weapon systems

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