US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Friday that India and the US will co-produce infantry combat vehicles as part of defence industrial cooperation.
Interacting with the reporters after the ‘2+2’ ministerial meeting, Austin said efforts are underway to ensure that India gets MQ-9B drones from the US as quickly as possible.
Describing the armoured vehicle project as “extremely important”, Austin said, “Today, we agreed to move forward with the co-production of armored infantry vehicles. We also discussed steps that we can take to strengthen our supply chain security and integrate the provision of goods and services from US and Indian firms.”
A joint statement on ‘2+2’ meeting said India and the US are setting up new liaison positions to facilitate seamless communication and cooperation between their armed forces. India and the US are also in the process of finalising a Security of Supply Arrangement (SOSA) that will further integrate the defence industrial ecosystems of both countries while strengthening supply chain resilience, it said.
Besides Austin, the US delegation comprised Secretary of State Antony Blinken while the Indian side was led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
The joint statement said the ministers reaffirmed the ‘Roadmap for Defence Industrial Cooperation’ as a catalyst for strengthening India’s capabilities and to facilitate technology-sharing.
