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| F-16IN Super Viper for Indian MMRCA competition |
Aaron Mehta
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has a team in India evaluating the potential for coproduction on fighter aircraft, days ahead of a visit to the nation by Defense SecretaryAsh Carter.
Carter also hinted that a new project announcement may come during his visit to India next week, during which he will visit New Delhi and Goa.
“While in India, I will meet with Prime Minister [Narendra] Modi and Defense Minister [Manohar] Parrikar to discuss the progress we have made together in aircraft carrier, jet fighter, and jet engine collaboration,” Carter said in prepared remarks at the Council for Foreign Relations in New York. “And we will talk about exciting new projects, the details of which I cannot go into this afternoon, but stay tuned for when I'm with Minister Parrikar.”
Carter said such discussions were happening under the aegis of the Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTT), a 2012 agreement between the US and India focused on sharing technology in what he called an “unprecedented way.”
“Members of my team, and industry, are right now, as we are here in New York, in India looking at the potential coproduction of fighter aircraft,” Carter said. “These conversations represent the growing enthusiasm of the US-India partnership, and even more than that, its promise. While these negotiations can be difficult and global competition is high, I have no doubt that in the coming years, the United States and India will embark on a landmark co-production agreement that will bring our two countries closer together and make our militaries stronger”
A US defense official confirmed that the discussion centered on the Lockheed Martin F-16V and Boeing F/A-18 fighter designs.
Read the full story at DefenseNews