India, US postpone defence trade and technology talks

WASHINGTON: A high level meeting on defence trade and weapons technology between India and the US has been postponed after a delay by the Donald Trump administration in appointing the co-head for Indo-American panel.

However, to keep the momentum going on for high-level technology between the two countries, India is sending a delegation under a Lt Gen-rank officer to further discuss military technological cooperation in America early next month.

'After the ouster of the Obama administration in January, the Americans have not yet appointed the replacement for under secretary Frank Kendell (equivalent to a secretary level officer in India) who has been discussing the defence trade and technology initiative with his counterpart here which has resulted in delays in holding a full-scale meeting of the panel,' sources in Defence ministry told media.

Indian  secretary (Defence Production) Ashok Kumar Gupta heads the DTTI panel and has different teams from the three services and the DRDO to negotiate and discuss the proposals for high technology military items with the US counterparts. Sources said the DTTI initiative has progressed well in the past under the Obama administration as the two sides have formed nine joint working groups on different-sectors of defence technology and trade for areas such as high-tech military helicopters and armoured vehicles.

More recently, the US proposed joint development and production of futuristic military helicopters as well as infantry combat vehicles in the programme.

In the high level meeting between the two sides, these projects were planned to be discussed as the Indian side has shown interest in the US offer for participation in its 'future vertical-lift (FVL) aircraft' programme. The US has also suggested that the future infantry combat vehicle (FICV) project can be a trilateral venture with the inclusion of Israel.

India is also going ahead with a Rs 60,000- crore FICV project. India has also not shown interest in lightweight projects like the development of mini drones like the RAVEN which could be produced and manufactured by Indian companies easily.

'We are only interested in high-tech programmes as if they fructify, we will have to take clearance from the Defence Acquisition Council for their production in India along with a certificate that the product was not available with anybody else in the world and we have to do the tie-up,' the sources said.