US approves sale of equipment used for tracking submarines

New Delhi, August 24

The US has approved the sale of equipment used to track submarines to India. The Defence and Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) of the US issued a notification last night saying US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has approved a sale of ‘anti-submarine warfare sonobuoys’ and related equipment for an estimated cost of $52.8 million (approx Rs 422 crore).

This will be done under the ‘foreign military sales’ adopted by the US for such sales. The DSCA has delivered the required certification notifying US Congress of this possible sale. The Congress is needed to ratify the decision.

The Government of India has requested to buy three separate types of sonobuoys. These sonobuoys when dropped in sea can emit signals to indicate the location of enemy submarines. Planes or helicopters flying above receive these signals, the pilots can then decide the future course of action against the sub.

The DSCA said the proposed sale will improve India’s capability to meet current and future threats by enhancing its capacity to conduct anti-submarine warfare operations from its MH-60R helicopters. These can be also used from the maritime surveillance planes the Boeing P8I.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met at the White House in Washington DC last night to discuss collaboration on projects.

The Indian Ministry of Defence today said the two discussed the ongoing defence industrial collaboration projects between the two countries and potential areas where the industries of the two countries could work together.

Later, while meeting the US defence industry at a round-table organised by the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, he gave the example of the planned co-production of GE 414 aero-engines in India, saying “it shall be a significant milestone in India-US bilateral relations”.

The GE 414 engines are made in India under joint venture, with public sector company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited being the India partner for the deal. The engines are meant for the next generation Tejas Mark 2 jets.

Jake Sullivan and Indian NSA Ajit Doval co-chair the US-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET). It last met in June this year.

Rajnath told Sullivan that India looks forward to closely working with the US across the domains of defence for capability building and for an abiding technology and industrial partnership which can address emerging challenges.

The industry event saw the attendance of prominent US defence and technology companies such as Boeing, General Electric, General Atomics, General Dynamics Land Systems, L3 Harris, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies and Rolls Royce.

Rajnath meets Sullivan

• The Ministry of Defence said Defence Minister Rajnath met US NSA Sullivan and the two discussed the ongoing defence industrial collaboration projects between the two countries
• Rajnath told Sullivan that India looks forward to closely working with the US across the domains of defence for capability building and for an abiding technology and industrial partnership