India and US Sign Key Defence Agreements to Enhance Strategic Ties
New Delhi: The US government has approved a $52.8 million sale of anti-submarine warfare (ASW) sonobuoys to India, which will enhance the Indian Navy's MH-60R helicopters' ability to hunt submarines in the high seas.
The approval for foreign military sales (FMS) by US secretary of state Antony Blinken to India came amidst defence minister Rajnath Singh's four-day visit to Washington, DC, to boost comprehensive global strategic partnership between the two nations.
Sonobuoys are expendable sensors deployed by anti-submarine warfare aircraft and used to detect underwater sound. These will be provided to India by US firms Sparton Corporation or Undersea Sensor Systems or both.
The US said this proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to strengthen the United States-India strategic relationship and improving the security of a major defence partner, which continues to be an important force for political stability, peace and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific and South Asia regions.
The proposed sale will improve India’s capability to meet current and future threats by enhancing its capacity to conduct anti-submarine warfare operations from its MH-60R helicopters, it said. India will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces.
"The government of India has requested to buy AN/SSQ-53G high altitude anti-submarine warfare (HAASW) sonobuoys, AN/SSQ-62F HAASW sonobuoys, AN/SSQ-36 sonobuoys, technical and publications and data documentation, US government and contractor engineering and technical support and other related elements of logistics and program services and support," it added.
Meanwhile, Mr Singh on Friday also met US national security advisor Jake Sullivan at the White House in Washington, DC. They deliberated on the evolving geopolitical situation and certain key regional security issues.
Both leaders also discussed the ongoing defence industrial collaboration projects between India and the US and potential areas where the industries of the two countries could work together.
The defence minister also interacted with the senior leaders of the US defence industry at a roundtable organised by the US India Strategic Partnership Forum in Washington, DC. The roundtable was attended by a large number of US defence and technology companies.
During the meeting, Mr Singh emphasised that India welcomes US investment and technology collaboration and is ready with a skilled human resource base, a robust pro-FDI and pro-business ecosystem and a large domestic market.
"India looks forward to closely working with the US across the domains of defence for capability building and for an abiding technology and industrial partnership that can address emerging challenges," he added.
Later, Mr Singh briefly met a delegation from the US India Business Council. The defence minister meeting with the business leaders saw the attendance of senior leadership from prominent US defence and technology companies such as Boeing, GE, General Atomics, General Dynamics Land Systems, L3 Harris, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies, Rolls Royce, and ThayerMahan.
In addition, a few Indian companies, such as ideaForge, Tata Sons and Tsecond, along with senior leaders from The Cohen Group, attended the interaction with the defence minister. Mr Singh outlined the various emerging co-development and co-production opportunities in the defence sector in India.