By Jim Morris, Warrior Vice President, News
That strategic partnership between the US and India keeps growing at a time when New Delhi’s relations with China have gotten worse.
Word of several developments emerged as US national security adviser Jake Sullivan was in the Indian capital to meet with his counterpart, Ajit Doval.
The Biden administration has now formally advised Congress that it plans to sell India 31 MQ-9B drones, a deal valued at around $3.9 billion that was previously announced. That clears the way for a final agreement later this year.
The MQ-9B hunter-killer drone built for high-altitude, long-endurance missions. It can be armed with a variety of munitions, ranging from the GBU-38 Joint Direction Attack Munition (JDAM) to the AIM-9 Sidewinder.
Meanwhile, the Times of India reports that the two countries are in advanced talks for joint manufacture of the new generation of Stryker infantry combat vehicles. Sources told the newspaper it would be a three-part deal: first, India would buy a limited number of off-the shelf Strykers; next, there would be joint production of the vehicle in India; finally, there would be co-development of future versions.
Ret. Army Gen. John Murray, Former Commanding General, Army Futures Command
According to the paper, the US has offered to demonstrate the Stryker’s capabilities in high-altitude areas of India, such as Ladakh and Sikkim.
In the coming years, India is looking to replace more than 2,000 aging Russian-origin BMP-II vehicles. The Stryker is seen as the ideal armored vehicle to quickly move troops to contested areas –such as the border with China – while India mobilizes its heavier armored formations stationed further away.
The two countries are also on the verge of signing another co-production deal. General Electric and Hindustan Aeronautics would agree to build GE-F414 jet engines in India for the country’s Tejas Mark-II fighters. The Pentagon has agreed to more than 80 percent of the necessary technology transfer.
After Monday’s meeting between Sullivan and Doval, a joint fact sheet described a new strategic semiconductor partnership for precision-guided ammunition and other national security-focused electronics platforms.
They also “resolved to prevent the leakage of sensitive and dual-use technologies to countries of concern.”
Last year, the two countries launched the India-US Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X). The goal is to facilitate partnerships among US and Indian defense companies, incubators and accelerators, investors and universities.
At the time, a senior Pentagon official said the US and India are increasingly doing things in military partnership that people wouldn’t have said was possible two decades ago. In addition to the co-production deals, the official said India is now joining the US in annual air and maritime exercises in the region.
All of this comes at a time when tensions between India and China have persisted in a dispute that has lasted for decades – and in 1962 resulted in a brief war.
At issue is what’s been described as the ill-defined 2,100 mile border between the two countries high in the Himalayas. It’s estimated that there are roughly 100,000 troops on either side of the border. Four years ago, India was building a new road to a high-altitude air base, which led to a confrontation with Chinese troops. At least 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese were killed.
China has made it clear it is not backing off. In Beijing’s English-language Global Times newspaper, the government has indicated its military modernization program includes building vehicles and weapons specifically designed to fight in the harsh altitude and climate along the border with India.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi made it clear he’s not backing off, either. Earlier this month after winning an historic third term, Modi publicly thanked Taiwan’s leader – leading to sharp criticism from China’s foreign ministry.
