18 August 2014

News Story: Too Early To Assess Indo-US Defense Ties


Big Announcements Expected During Prime Minister's Washington Visit

By VIVEK RAGHUVANSHI

NEW DELHI — Although no defense projects were established during US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s recent visit to India, US-Indo defense ties are developing and announcements on new initiatives are antici­pated next month, Ministry of Defence officials and defense analysts said.

India and the US have been negotiating for a year about co-production of the Javelin anti-tank guided missile (ATGM). This would be the first joint US-India defense production at Indian facilities, and announcement of an agreement was expected during Hagel’s Aug. 7-9 visit, said defense analyst Mahindra Singh, retired Indian Army major general said.

An MoD official said the Javelin project remains under negotiation but the US has offered to transfer technology for the fourth generation of the Javelin ATGM, an upgrade from third-generation technology offered last year.

A diplomat at the US Embassy here confirmed that Washington offered to transfer fourth-generation technology for the co-production project.

Read the full story at DefenseNews