NEW DELHI: US President Joe Biden welcomed the progress made by India to procure 31 General Atomics MQ-9B (16 sky guardian and 15 sea guardian) remotely piloted aircraft and their associated equipment which will enhance intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities of India’s armed forces.Both PM Modi and President Biden recognised the progress under the U.S.-India Defense Industrial Cooperation roadmap, including ongoing collaboration to advance priority co-production arrangements for jet engines, munitions, and ground mobility systems, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).India and the US welcomed efforts to expand defence industrial partnerships, including the teaming of Liquid Robotics and Sagar Defence Engineering for the co-development and co-production of unmanned surface vehicle systems. The systems strengthen undersea and maritime domain awareness. The leaders applauded the recent conclusion of the Security of Supply Arrangement (SOSA), enhancing the mutual supply of defence goods and services.President Biden welcomed India’s decision to set a uniform Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 5 per cent on the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) sector including on all aircraft and aircraft engine parts. The decision simplifies the tax structure, paving the way for building a strong ecosystem for MRO services in India. The leaders also encouraged the industry to foster collaboration and drive innovation to support India’s efforts to become a leading aviation hub.”The leaders hailed the teaming agreement on the C-130J Super Hercules aircraft recently signed between Lockheed Martin and Tata Advanced Systems Limited, the two companies that co-chair the U.S.-India CEO Forum. Building on longstanding industry cooperation, this agreement will establish a new Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in India to support the readiness of the Indian fleet and global partners who operate the C-130 Super Hercules aircraft. This marks a significant step in U.S.-India defence and aerospace cooperation. It also reflects the two sides deepening strategic and technology partnership ties,’’ MEA added.The leaders also lauded the growing defence innovation collaboration between our governments, businesses, and academic institutions fostered by the India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) initiative launched in 2023, and noted progress achieved during the third INDUS-X Summit in Silicon Valley earlier this month.
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