Tag: Defence

Categories
-Top News India News

India, Egypt discuss strengthening defence ties

The Indian army chief also interacted with the Egyptian Chief of Operations Lt General Ahmed F Khalifa…reports Asian Lite News

Indian Army Chief General Manoj Pande and his Egyptian counterpart Lt General Osama Ahmed Roshdy Abdullah Askar on Tuesday discussed ways to strengthen India-Egypt bilateral defence cooperation.

During the interaction, a book “Indian Army in Egypt” was also released to commemorate the service and sacrifice of Indian soldiers in Egypt.

The Indian army chief also interacted with the Egyptian Chief of Operations Lt General Ahmed F Khalifa.

Manoj Pande is on a three-day visit to Egypt to enhance bilateral defence cooperation and strengthen ties in areas of mutual interest of both countries.

“Indian Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande has proceeded on a three-day visit to Egypt. The visit will provide an opportunity to enhance bilateral Defence Cooperation and strengthen cooperation in areas of mutual interest,” tweeted ADG-PI.

India and Egypt enjoy cordial defence relations. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi was invited as chief guest on India’s 74th Republic Day celebrations to reaffirm the strong relations between the two countries.

“This is for the first time that the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt has been invited as Chief Guest on our Republic Day,” the MEA said. A military contingent from Egyptian Army will also participate in the Republic Day parade.

India and Egypt celebrated 75 years of establishment of diplomatic relations this year.

India and Egypt enjoy warm and friendly relations marked by civilizational, cultural and economic linkages and deep-rooted people-to-people ties. The multifaceted relationship is based on shared cultural values, commitment to foster economic growth, collaboration in the fields of defence and security and convergence on regional and global issues. The two countries work closely at multilateral and international platforms.

Most of the current defence cooperation between India and Egypt is determined by Joint Defence Committee (JDC) activities. JDC meetings have been held alternately in either country, followed by exchange activities. In addition, several courses, exercises, ship transits, aircraft transits and defence exhibitions also contribute to defence cooperation between India and Egypt. (ANI)

ALSO READ-Army Chief in Egypt to advance defence ties

Categories
India News

India approves indigenisation of 928 defence items

New Delhi: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addresses during the launch of the 7th tranche of auction for commercial mining of coal, in New Delhi, on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. (Photo:IANS/Twitter)

This fourth list is in continuation to the previous three PILs involving LRUs/Sub-systems/Assemblies/Sub-assemblies/Spares & Components which were published in December 2021, March 2022 and August 2022 respectively…reports Asian Lite News

Ministry of Defence on Sunday approved the 4th Positive Indigenisation List of 928 strategically-important Line Replacement Units/Sub-systems/Spares and Components with import substitution value worth Rs 715 crore to promote self-reliance and indigenisation in the defence sector.

“To promote ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence and minimise imports by Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has approved 4th Positive Indigenisation List (PIL) of 928 strategically-important Line Replacement Units (LRUs)/Sub-systems/Spares and Components, including high-end materials and spares, with import substitution value worth Rs 715 crore. Details of these items are available on SRIJAN Portal (https://srijandefence.gov.in/).

These will only be procured from the Indian Industry after the timelines indicated in the list,” the press release said. In this regard, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh took to Twitter and said, “The Govt under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi is committed towards indigenisation and self-reliance in the Defence sector.

Keeping this in mind, the 4th Positive Indigenisation List (PIL) of 928 strategically-important Line Replacement Units (LRUs)/Sub-systems/Spares & Components has been approved. The list includes high-end materials and spares, with import substitution value worth Rs 715 crore.”

This fourth list is in continuation to the previous three PILs involving LRUs/Sub-systems/Assemblies/Sub-assemblies/Spares & Components which were published in December 2021, March 2022 and August 2022 respectively. These lists contain 2,500 items which are already indigenised and 1,238 (351+107+780) items which will be indigenised within the given timelines. Of 1,238, 310 items (1st PIL – 262, 2nd PIL – 11, 3rd PIL – 37) have been indigenised, so far, an official statement said.

“The DPSUs will undertake indigenisation of these items through different routes under the ‘Make’ category and in-house development through the capabilities of MSMEs and private Indian industry, thereby providing impetus to the growth in the economy, enhanced investment in defence and reduction in import dependence of DPSUs. In addition, this will augment the design capabilities of the domestic defence industry by involving academia and research institutions,” the release mentioned.

The DPSUs will soon initiate procurement action for these notified items. The industry may look for Expression of Interest (EoIs)/Request for Proposal (RFPs) on the Srijan Portal Dashboard (https://srijandefence.gov.in/DashboardForPublic) specially designed for this purpose and may come forward to participate in large number, it added. (ANI)

ALSO READ-Rajnath, Didi review India-Maldives defence ties

Categories
-Top News Bangladesh

Bangladesh Army chief meets top defence brass in India

Bangladesh Army Chief General Ahmed received a Guard of Honour at South Block lawns in Delhi…reports Asian Lite News

Bangladesh Army Chief General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed who’s on a three-day visit to India laid a wreath to the war heroes at the National War Memorial in Delhi on Thursday, officials said.

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Manoj Pande on Thursday held a meeting with his Bangladesh counterpart General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed and discussed anti-terrorism collaboration and ways to strengthen the defence cooperation between the two nations. General Pande and General Ahmed also signed an implementing arrangement for the training of Peacekeepers deployed in the United Nations.

Taking to its official Twitter handle, the Additional Directorate General of Public Information, IHQ of MoD (Army) stated, “General Manoj Pande #COAS extended a warm welcome to General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed #COAS, #Bangladesh Army and discussed ways to further strengthen the #DefenceCooperation between the two Armies.”

In another tweet, he said, “An Implementing Arrangement for training of Peacekeepers deployed in United Nations #Peacekeeping operations was also signed in presence of both the Chiefs.”

In another tweet, IHQ of MoD (Army) stated, “General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed, Chief of Army Staff #COAS, #BangladeshArmy, laid a wreath at National War Memorial #NWM & received a Guard of Honour at the #SouthBlock. The General Officer is on a three-day visit to #India.”

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Bangladesh Army Chief General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed also held discussions on issues of bilateral and regional interest, as well as avenues to further build upon the historic defence ties between the armed forces of two countries.

Earlier yesterday, Bangladesh Army Chief General Ahmed received a Guard of Honour at South Block lawns in Delhi.

General Ahmed is the Reviewing Officer for the Passing Out Parade at Officers Training Academy, Chennai scheduled on April 29. He will visit the Officers Training Academy Museum and interact with the cadets of the passing out course.

The Ministry of Defence said that India and Bangladesh share the historical legacy of cooperation and support during the Liberation War of 1971. The active engagement on the defence side includes high-level exchanges at the level of Service Chiefs, conduct of the inaugural Annual Defence Dialogues by the Defence Secretaries, Tri-services and Service-specific Staff Talks.

The exchange visits of Bangladesh Mukti Jodhas and Indian war veterans take place every year in December to mark the Victory Day celebrations in Dhaka and Kolkata, the ministry officials added.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, India and Bangladesh share bonds of history, language, culture, and a multitude of other commonalities. The ties between the two nations reflect an all-encompassing partnership based on sovereignty, equality, trust, and understanding that goes far beyond a strategic partnership. (ANI)

ALSO READ-ADB lends $230 mn for flood rehabilitation in Bangladesh

Categories
-Top News India News

Rajnath holds talks with Chinese Defence Minister

Defence Minister says development of relations between India and China is premised on prevalence of peace and tranquillity at the borders…reports Asian Lite News

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday told his Chinese counterpart, General Li Shangfu that all issues at the LAC need to be resolved in accordance with existing bilateral agreements, officials said.

In their meet, which came a day before the SCO Defence Ministers meet – which India, as the Chair of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in 2023, is hosting, the two ministers had frank discussions about developments in the India-China border areas as well as bilateral relations.

During the meet, Rajnath Singh categorically conveyed that development of relations between India and China is premised on prevalence of peace and tranquillity at the borders.

According to the Defence Ministry, he added that all issues at the LAC need to be resolved in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and commitments. He reiterated that violation of existing agreements has eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations and disengagement at the border will logically be followed with de-escalation.

The repeated attempts by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to violate the Line of Actual Control (LAC), leading to tension in Ladakh, had spurred the institution of the Corps Commander-level meetings.

The 18th round of the Corps Commander-level talks was held on Sunday, but was inconclusive as there was no headway on the contentious issue of the Depsang Plains and de-escalation along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.

While the two sides agreed on mutual withdrawals from Pangong Tso, Gogra, and Hot Springs, the Depsang Plains and Demchok remain points of contention and tension.

Beside his Chinese counterpart, Rajnath Singh also met his Iranian counterpart Brigadier General Mohammed Reza Gharaei Ashtiyani and the meeting took place in a cordial and warm atmosphere. Both the leaders emphasised on the age-old cultural, linguistic, and civilisational ties between the two countries, including people-to-people connect.

Both the Ministers reviewed the bilateral defence cooperation and exchanged views on regional security issues, including peace and stability in Afghanistan. Further, the two Ministers discussed the development of the International North South Transport corridor to ease logistic problems to Afghanistan and other countries in Central Asia.

The Iranian Defence Minister will also attend the SCO meeting on Friday as his country has observer status in the organisation.

Bilateral meetings with Kazakh, Tajikistan

Rajnath Singh on Thursday held bilateral meetings with his Kazakh, Tajikistani counterparts on the sidelines of the SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi, according to an official statement.

Singh held separate bilateral meetings with Kazakhstan Defence Minister Colonel General Ruslan Zhaxylykov and the Minister of Defence of Tajikistan Colonel General Sherali Mirzo, the statement said. The entire spectrum of defence cooperation with the two countries was reviewed during the meetings, with focus on identifying avenues to expand mutually beneficial collaboration. Issues of mutual interest were also discussed, according to the official statement.

Rajnath Singh on Thursday also met State Councillor and Minister of National Defence of China General Li Shangfu in New Delhi.

The two Ministers had frank discussions about the developments in the India-China border areas as well as bilateral relations. Singh categorically conveyed that the development of relations between India and China is premised on the prevalence of peace and tranquillity at the borders.

He added that all issues at the LAC need to be resolved in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and commitments. He reiterated that violation of existing agreements has eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations and disengagement at the border will logically be followed with de-escalation.

The theme of India’s Chairmanship of SCO in 2023 is ‘Secure-SCO’. India attaches special importance to SCO in promoting multilateral, political, security, economic and people-to-people interactions in the region.

Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an intergovernmental organization established in 2001. The SCO members include Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan besides India. Apart from the member states, two observer countries Belarus and Iran will also be participating in the SCO Defence Ministers Meeting. 

Iranian Defence Minister Ashtiani arrives

Iranian Defence Minister Mohammad Reza Gharaei Ashtiani arrived in Delhi on Thursday to attend Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting scheduled to be held on Friday.

The minister will hold a bilateral meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will likely meet on the sidelines of the SCO summit.

Earlier, Sergei Shoigu visited India in December 2021 for the first India-Russia 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue.

The Defence Ministers will discuss matters concerning regional peace and security, counter-terrorism efforts within SCO and effective multilateralism, said the Ministry of Defence in an official statement.

The theme of India’s Chairmanship of SCO in 2023 is ‘Secure-SCO’. India attaches special importance to SCO in promoting multilateral, political, security, economic and people-to-people interactions in the region.

ALSO READ-Japan’s Vice Minister of Defence calls on Rajnath  

Categories
-Top News Asia News

Japan’s Vice Minister of Defence calls on Rajnath  

Rajnath Singh conveyed that India shares Japan’s vision for a free, open, secure and rules-based Indo-Pacific and stressed that both countries must continue to expand the scope of their bilateral cooperation…reports Asian Lite News

Vice Minister of Defense for International Affairs of Japan Oka Masami called on Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on Thursday. During the meeting, Oka briefed the Raksha Mantri on the discussions held during the 7th Defence Policy Dialogue, which he co-chaired with Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane in New Delhi on Wednesday.

The visiting dignitary reiterated Japan’s keenness to further enhance bilateral defence cooperation, including collaboration in defence equipment and technology. Rajnath Singh conveyed that India shares Japan’s vision for a free, open, secure and rules-based Indo-Pacific and stressed that both countries must continue to expand the scope of their bilateral cooperation.

“Wonderful meeting with Japan’s Vice Minister of Defense, Mr Oka Masami in New Delhi. India shares Japan’s vision for a free, open, secure and rules-based Indo-Pacific. Both the countries continue to expand the scope of their bilateral cooperation,” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted.

“Oka was also accompanied by the Ambassador of Japan to India Suzuki Hiroshi, who thanked the Raksha Mantri for the impetus provided by his strong and positive leadership towards strengthening the bilateral defence ties. Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane was also present on the occasion,” Singh tweeted further.

Both sides agreed to further enhance bilateral defence cooperation. (ANI)

ALSO READ-Japan breaks ranks with US allies, purchases Russian oil

Categories
-Top News Europe

First NATO defence innovation HQ opens in London

DIANA will operate to unite the best and brightest innovators across the Alliance to ensure that we are well-prepared to protect all Allied nations and nearly one billion citizens…reports Asian Lite News

The first Regional Office of NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) was opened in London today, with a further hub in Tallinn due to open later this year.

Located at the Imperial College London Innovation Hub (I-HUB) in the White City Innovation District, the regional office was opened by the UK Minister for Defence Procurement, Alex Chalk KC and the NATO Deputy Secretary General, Mircea Geoană on a visit to the site.

Delivering on the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy, the DIANA programme aims to support the foundation, growth and success of start-ups working to drive innovation and forward-thinking in Defence. Bringing together industry, government and academia from across the Alliance, DIANA will help enable NATO Allies to develop and integrate advanced dual-use technologies to address critical defence and security challenges, at pace.

Essential to delivering the NATO 2030 vision, the programme will ensure the Alliance develops the defence capabilities needed to deter and defend against existing and future threats, enhancing security within the Alliance and beyond.

Minister for Defence Procurement, Alex Chalk KC, said, “Combining the brightest and best from our thriving tech industries, government and academia, the UK’s first DIANA office will be a world-leading innovation hub to support future military technologies.”

DIANA will operate to unite the best and brightest innovators across the Alliance to ensure that we are well-prepared to protect all Allied nations and nearly one billion citizens.

Mircea Geoană, NATO Deputy Secretary General, said, “DIANA is a game-changer for driving NATO’s innovation agenda forward. I am delighted that Imperial College’s White City Campus will host the first of DIANA’s regional offices. Imperial’s Innovation Hub already co-locates major defence contractors, innovators and researchers alongside UK and US government defence innovation accelerators, making it the ideal place to start this exciting new initiative.”

The programme will support all nine of the key emerging and disruptive technologies that NATO has identified as priorities: artificial intelligence, data, autonomy, quantum-enabled technologies, biotechnology, hypersonics, space, novel materials and manufacturing, and energy and propulsion.

David van Weel, Interim DIANA Managing Director said, “Technology has never been as prominent on the NATO agenda as it is today. This location here in London on the Imperial College campus is a fantastic marker of our ambition. We want to bring NATO closer to the best and brightest of our innovators. Leading the establishment of DIANA has been a great pleasure over the past months. Now it is an honour to hand over to Professor Chana, who will be taking DIANA to new heights and launch DIANA’s first pilot activities in June.”

Ranked in the world’s top ten innovative universities, Imperial College London will bring together academia, industry and government to host the HQ in a space shared with the UK’s Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA), Major Defence Contractors and the US Department of Defense’s Tri-Service Office.

ALSO READ-Turkey ratifies Finland’s NATO bid

Categories
-Top News Defence India News

23 out of 55 defence research body projects missed deadlines

New Delhi, Dec 16 (ANI): Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari tweeted this picture congratulating DRDO for successfully carrying out the night trials of nuclear-capable ballistic missile 'Agni5' on Thursday. (ANI Photo)

The minister, however, did not provide the details about the deadlines and period of implementation of the projects…reports Asian Lite News

Twenty-three of the 55 high-priority projects being implemented by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) could not meet the deadlines, the government informed Parliament on Monday.

The high-priority projects included developing anti-air field weapons, surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship missiles, long-range radars, combat vehicles, combat suits for submarines and submarine periscopes.

Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt provided the details in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.

“Currently, there are 55 numbers of ongoing MM (Mission Mode) projects such as anti-air field weapons, solid fuel ducted ramjet technology, surface to air missiles, anti-ship missiles, long range radars, combat vehicles, high endurance autonomous underwater vehicles, combat suits for submarines, submarine periscopes etc.,” he said.

“Of these 55 numbers of ongoing MM projects, 23 numbers did not meet deadlines. Of the 23 numbers of ongoing MM projects which did not meet the deadlines, nine have undergone cost overruns. However, not all cost overruns were necessitated due to time overruns,” Bhatt said.

The minister, however, did not provide the details about the deadlines and period of implementation of the projects.

A total of 1,35,743 posts, including 8,070 at the level of officers, were lying vacant in the Indian Army as on March 10, according to data provided by Bhatt.

According to the details, a total of 19,678 vacancies were filled up between January 1 and March 10.

Bhatt said the number of vacancies of junior commissioned officers (JCOs) and other ranks as on March 10 was 1,27,673 and the number of vacancies at the level of officers was 8,070.

The minister said 19,065 vacancies of JCOs and other ranks were filled up between January 1 and March 10.

The number of vacancies filled up in the category of officers during the period was 613.

To a separate question, Mr Bhatt said the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) concluded a contract with Mauritius in January last year for the export of an advanced light helicopter (ALH) Mk III and associated deliverables. The total contract value was USD 17.67 million (around ₹ 141.52 crore).

According to the contract, the delivery was to be completed in 18 months, whereas the HAL completed it ahead of the schedule.

ALSO READ-US-sanctioned general named Chinese defence minister

Categories
-Top News India News

Rajnath hardsells India advantage for defence sector to CEOs

He described it as a win-win situation where defence manufacturing companies from across the world can become a part of the Indian growth story…reports Asian Lite News

Union defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday listed competitive land costs, skilled human capital, a vibrant start-up ecosystem and a huge domestic defence market among the advantages that India offers the global defence industry. Singh was interacting with the CEOs of Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) on the sidelines of the 14th edition of Aero India.

He described it as a win-win situation where defence manufacturing companies from across the world can become a part of the Indian growth story.

Rajnath Singh emphasised the importance of the defence sector for India. “Defence production meets the twin goals of becoming self-reliant in a critical sector as well as generating jobs for our people.”

He mentioned the incentives offered by the Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu governments for investment in Defence Industrial Corridors, Central government policies promoting FDI and defence manufacturing in India, the strong legal system protecting stakeholders’ interests and improvements in ease of doing business.

“There are opportunities to co-develop, co-produce, integrate and strengthen supply chains, from joint ventures, set up manufacturing in India and make for the world,” he said. The CEOs gave their suggestions to facilitate global investment in Indian Defence Manufacturing. Rajnath Singh assured them of government efforts to remove regulatory hurdles for private industry.

The CEOs and senior management of General Atomics, Safran, Boeing, Embraer and Rafael Advanced Defence Systems attended the interaction. Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane, DG (Acquisition) Pankaj Agrawal, Additional Secretary, Defence Production T. Natarajan and other senior officials of the Ministry of Defence were also present.

ALSO READ-Rajnath holds talks with defence heads of 7 nations

Categories
-Top News UK News

Rajnath holds talks with defence heads of 7 nations

He voiced the government’s resolve of nurturing a vibrant and world-class defence manufacturing industry, terming it as the key driver of Indian economy…reports Asian Lite News

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a series of discussions with his counterparts, security advisors and top officials from the neighbouring and African countries on the sidelines of the Aero India show in Bengaluru on Monday.

Singh met with Nepal Defence Minister Hari Prasad Uprety, Sri Lanka’s Minister of State for Defence Premitha Bandara Tennakoon, Bangladesh Security Advisor Major General Tarique Ahmed Siddique, Zimbabwean Defence Minister Oppah Charm Zvinpange Muchinguri, Tanzania’s Defence Minister Basungwa Innocent Lugha, Congo Defence Minister Charles Richard Mondjo and Armenia’s Deputy Defence Minister Karen Brutyan.

India has made it clear that it does not want to remain just an assembly workshop and is looking to engage with friendly countries in defence and security based on sharing expertise and capabilities under the ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

While inaugurating the show on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spotlighted that India is all geared up to bring a revolution in every sector on the path of reforms.

“The country, which was the biggest defence importer for decades, is now exporting defence equipment to 75 countries of the world. The country’s defence exports have increased six times in the last five years. In 2021-22, we exported more than $1.5 billion worth defence equipment,” said Modi.

Later, Singh addressed over 70 CEOs of local and global Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) during a Round Table and called upon Indian and global industry leaders to support the Modi government’s endeavour to design, develop and manufacture cutting-edge products, using critical technologies, within the country to attain complete ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence, with the overall objective of achieving shared global peace and prosperity.

He voiced the government’s resolve of nurturing a vibrant and world-class defence manufacturing industry, terming it as the key driver of Indian economy.

The Defence Minister also enumerated a number of far-reaching reforms undertaken by Ministry of Defence to create a business-friendly climate in the country. These include setting up of defence corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu; simplification of industrial licensing processes; hike in cap on FDI in defence; opening of government trial and testing facilities for the private sector; increase in capital outlay for defence in Budget 2023-24 and launch of Technology Development Fund and Innovations for Defence Excellence.

The CEOs Round Table was organised on the theme ‘Sky is not the limit: opportunities beyond boundaries’. The participating companies included Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Israel Aerospace Industries, General Atomics, Liebherr Group, Raytheon Technologies, Safran, General Authority of Military Industries, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Bharat Electronics Limited, Bharat Dynamics Limited, BEML Limited, Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited, Larsen & Toubro, Bharat Forge, Dynamatic Technologies and BrahMos Aerospace.

ALSO READ-India to fully Indigenise Tejas aircraft soon, says Rajnath

Categories
-Top News India News

UK defence sector turns up in force at Aero India

This includes Air Vice-Marshal Richard Maddison of the Royal Air Force and British manufacturing giants such as Rolls Royce, BAE Systems, MBDA UK, Thales UK, Collins Aerospace and Leonardo…reports Asian Lite News

The UK defence sector has turned up in force at India’s premier air show, Aero India, in a demonstration of the strong intent to accelerate collaboration with India across research, development and training.

UK delegation supports ‘Atmanirbharta’ at Aero India and over the course of the week, the delegation will engage a range of Indian stakeholders to reiterate the UK’s ambition to not only make in India but also to ‘Create in India’, read British High Commission press release. The UK delegation will take discussions forward on key offers that are being explored for collaboration, such as a strategic partnership for a jet engine development programme and maritime electric propulsion technology.

The British companies at Aero India are: Rolls Royce, BAE Systems, MBDA UK, Thales UK, Leonardo, Smiths Detection, Strongfield Technologies, ASL, Reliance Precision and Ricardo, added the release.

The UK delegation, which is led by Minister for Defence Procurement Alex Chalk, comprises representatives from Government, military, and the defence industry.

This includes Air Vice-Marshal Richard Maddison of the Royal Air Force and British manufacturing giants such as Rolls Royce, BAE Systems, MBDA UK, Thales UK, Collins Aerospace and Leonardo.

The Royal Air Force (RAF) looks forward to welcoming the Indian Air Force (IAF) to the UK for exercise Cobra Warrior next month. This will be the first time that the IAF would be participating in the multilateral air combat exercise, which will see the participation of air forces from 17 nations, added the release.

The delegation travelled to Bengaluru following their participation at the UP Global Investors Summit, of which the UK was a country partner, to unlock investment potential in India’s northern defence corridor.

“As we continue to build the UK-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, I’m hugely excited to attend Aero India – another key opportunity to demonstrate the UK’s commitment to developing strong bilateral relations and deliver on the 2030 Roadmap,” said Alex Chalk, Minister for Defence Procurement.  (ANI)

ALSO READ-US, France slug it out eyeing orders for INS Vikrant