China’s increasing naval presence discussed in Parrikar-Carter meet
New Delhi: In a significant move, India and the United States on Wednesday “finalised” agreements for joint development of ‘Next Generation Protective Ensembles’ (protective gear for soldiers against biological and chemical warfare), and ‘Mobile Electric Hybrid Power Sources’ even as visiting US defence secretary Ashton Carter and defence minister Manohar Parrikar signed the strategically-important ‘2015 Framework for the India-US Defence Relationship’.
India and the US agreed to “expedite discussions” on “forward cooperation on jet engines, aircraft-carrier design and construction, and other areas”. Speculation is rife that the United States could assist India in the construction of its second indigenous nuclear-powered aircraft-carrier, which could be nuclear-powered.
The new framework agreement “provides avenues for high-level strategic discussions, continued exchanges between armed forces of both countries, and strengthening of defence capabilities,” the Indian government said.
The issue of China’s increasing naval presence in the Indian Ocean region is also likely to have been discussed during the visit. During Mr Carter’s current visit, the two countries have moved ahead on two of the four “pathfinder projects” identified under the Defence Trade and Technology Initiative (DTTI) during US President Barack Obama’s visit to New Delhi in January this year.
The four projects projected to be the pathfinder in the defence sector are the Raven mini unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), “roll-on, roll-off” mission modules for the C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, mobile electric hybrid power sources and chemical-biological warfare protection suite for the soldiers.
