Defence Business: India, U.S. To Chalk Out Roadmap For Collaboration

WASHINGTON: Top Indian and U.S. defence officials will meet in New Delhi this week to draw a roadmap to fast track the implementation of four projects identified for co-development and co-production and formation of a joint working group on aircraft carriers.

U.S. Under Secretary of Defence for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (AT&L), Frank Kendall, who is in India, will announce the name of the official who would lead the American side in this joint working group.

The Indian side too is expected to name its lead, following which the joint working group would formally become operational.

The idea of co-operation in the field of aircraft carrier was first discussed in early September leading up to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's U.S. visit in September last year.

"We laid the ground work in September and October and then it became part of the (India US) joint statement in January (after U.S. President Barack Obama's India trip)," the official said, adding that the working group would explore opportunities for co-operation in aircraft carrier capabilities and techniques in construction.

India is embarking on a next generation aircraft carrier construction, and there are potentially multiple areas that would be of mutual interest in discussing it, the official said.

"We need to understand what they are interested in...because of the complexities of the platform we are
proposing a working group. What we are committed to do in this trip is to bring name forward who would be our lead on the U.S. side from the U.S. Navy to lead that working group. We hope to receive the name of India's lead of the working group," the official said.

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