Bengaluru: The U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC), with its executive mission led by Dr Vivek Lall, vice president of Lockheed Martin, will arrive with the largest US industry delegation at Aero India 2019, in order to strengthen defense and security partnerships between the United States and India.
The executive mission would comprise of senior executives from the United States’ premier aerospace & defense companies that include Raytheon, Textron, AECOM, General Atomics, Boeing, Harris, Telephonics, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems and others. “We’re exploring unprecedented partnership opportunities,” says Dr. Vivek Lall, adding “Aero India 2019 is an ideal forum for Lockheed Martin and American industry to highlight new possibilities while drawing on a century of innovation and successful international partnerships in India and around the globe.”
Coproduction partnerships that support both Make-In-India and American business are front and center on the agenda. Telephonic Corporation’s President Mr. Kevin McSweeney who is part of the USIBC delegation said, “I’m pleased to celebrate the significant milestone achieved by Telephonic’s joint venture with Mahindra having manufactured and delivered over 100, RDR1600 airborne weather radars to global market customers.”
“From advanced helicopters to state of the art fighter aircraft, American industry is pushing new frontiers in technology transfer and co-production arrangements,” notes Benjamin Schwartz, USIBC’s Head for Defense and Aerospace.
On the sidelines of Aero India 2019, the USIBC delegation would host a panel discussion on the opportunities in U.S.-India strategic ties as well as the political context of the relationship with Indian government officials and the U.S. government delegation led by Deputy Undersecretary of Defence Allan Shaffer, Director of the Defence Security Cooperation Agency LTG Charles Hooper, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asia, Dr. Joe Felter.
Meanwhile, in a separate statement to the media, the head of the U.S. delegation to Aero India 2019, U.S. Ambassador Kenneth I. Juster, stated: “I am pleased to be here to support our largest-ever U.S. participation in Aero India. The United States and India are committed to strengthening defense cooperation, in line with India’s status as a Major Defence Partner. Defence acquisitions are an important component in deepening our bilateral ties and contributing to a balanced trade relationship.”
