India, US looking to expand defence ties
Ajay Banerjee
New Delhi, April 12
Seeking to facilitate collaboration on cutting-edge defence technologies, India and the US will expand to new domains for future cooperation.
The existing US-India Joint Technical Group (JTG) will look at evolving new defence domains, including space, artificial intelligence (AI) and cyberspace.
There are plans to conduct an inaugural Defence Space Dialogue in 2022. The two sides decided to hold an inaugural AI dialogue this year to harness opportunities for joint innovation and cooperation in new domains.
A joint statement issued after the 2+2 ministerial dialogue in Washington last night mentioned the new domains that the two sides are looking at.
Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh conducted the 2+2 dialogue talks with their counterparts — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Secretary of Defence General Lloyd Austin.
With India’s focus on developing its domestic capabilities, the two sides committed to work closely on co-production, co-development, cooperative testing of advanced systems and investment promotion. They will also explore reciprocal participation in each other’s defence supply chains.
Focus on AI
- India and the US are committed to work on co-production, co-development, cooperative testing of advanced systems and investment promotion
- They will also explore reciprocal participation in each other’s defence supply chains
- The existing US-India Joint Technical Group will look at evolving new defence domains, including space and artificial intelligence
.
