India, US review co-production of jet engines

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today discussed with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin the promised co-production of jet engines, the two leaders meeting on the sidelines of the “11th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus” in Laos.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said both sides discussed the collaboration to advance priority co-production arrangements for jet engines, ammunition and ground mobility system. India and the US are in talks to co-produce the General Electric’s F414 engine that would power the next generation of Tejas fighter jets being manufactured in India. The two leaders commended the progress achieved by the India-US defence partnership.

Singh held separate bilateral meetings with his counterparts from South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, Kim Yong Hyun, Pat Conroy and Judith Collins, respectively. Rajnath invited the Korean side to invest in India’s defence corridors. At his meeting with the New Zealand counterpart, Rajnath sought early finalisation of the defence cooperation agreement to further strengthen ties.