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UK Offers India 'British Know-How' to Build its Own Advanced Fighter Jets
UK Offers India 'British Know-How' to Build its Own Advanced Fighter Jets
Sputnik International
The UK's offer to India to develop fighter jets domestically comes at a time when the South Asian country, the world’s second largest arms importer, has been... 22.04.2022, Sputnik International
2022-04-22T15:41+0000
2022-04-22T15:41+0000
2023-05-28T15:19+0000
boris johnson
narendra modi
indo-pacific
cyber crime
brexit
asia
united kingdom (uk)
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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has offered “the best of British know-how” to India to build home-grown modern fighter jets in the South Asian country.The announcement came on Friday the last day of Johnson’s two-day visit to the South Asian nation as the British premier met his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi for delegation-level talks in New Delhi’s Hyderabad House.New Delhi lacks the expertise to assemble a fighter jet using domestic components. Even India’s indigenously assembled Tejas aircraft uses a US-built General Electric GE-F404IN engine.Prime Minister Modi said that he “welcomed” the UK’s support for manufacturing in India through transfer of technology in the defence sector.The joint statement released stated that both the leaders “reiterated their commitment to transform defence and security cooperation as a key pillar of the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and enhance engagements in support of a free, open and secure Indo Pacific.”According to the joint statement, the focus of the defence partnership would be on “co-development, indigenisation, transfer of technology and setting up of joint ventures for meeting the needs of the Armed Forces of India and other countries”.The two countries also released a separate ‘India-United Kingdom Cyber Statement’, as they pledged to “deepen co-ordination on mitigation strategies” for tackling cybercrime and other online threats.Defence and Security a ‘Focus Area’ in India-UK TiesAddressing the media on the outcomes of the meeting between the two leaders, Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla remarked that the defence and security partnership emerged as a “focus area” of the bilateral partnership.“Both leaders held detailed discussions on opportunities for collaborations, particularly the co-development and co-production of advanced defence technologies, including in areas such as electric propulsion, modern fighter aircraft jet engines, complex weapons and sub-sea radars, etc,” stated the Indian foreign secretary.“What we are looking at is a combination of the UK's technology and our production base to make it a win-win situation,” he also remarked.Shringla said that there will be exchanges between scientists and industrialists as well as on the level of National Security Advisors (NSAs) between the two countries in days ahead to chalk out the modalities of an expanded security partnership.The Indian official also said that negotiations for a “comprehensive and balanced” free trade agreement between the two countries were expected to conclude by the end of October 2022.Overall, six memoranda of understanding (MoUs) were signed between the two countries during Johnson’s visit, including a government-to-government (G2G) agreement on cooperation in nuclear energy.The UK has been eyeing free-trade agreements with other nations since its divorce from the EU. Negotiations on a post-Brexit agreement with India, the largest foreign investor in the UK in 2019, kicked off last year.Developing a close defence partnership with New Delhi is also a post-Brexit strategy under the banner of Britain’s “tilt” to the Asia-Pacific, an initiative aimed at countering Beijing’s rising political and military influence in the region.
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boris johnson, narendra modi, indo-pacific, cyber crime, brexit, united kingdom (uk)
boris johnson, narendra modi, indo-pacific, cyber crime, brexit, united kingdom (uk)
UK Offers India 'British Know-How' to Build its Own Advanced Fighter Jets
15:41 GMT 22.04.2022 (Updated: 15:19 GMT 28.05.2023) The UK's offer to India to develop fighter jets domestically comes at a time when the South Asian country, the world’s second largest arms importer, has been trying to reduce its defence import bills through domestic manufacturing.
British Prime Minister
Boris Johnson has offered “the best of British know-how” to India to build home-grown modern fighter jets in the South Asian country.
The announcement came on Friday the last day of Johnson’s two-day visit to the South Asian nation as the British premier met his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi for delegation-level talks in New Delhi’s Hyderabad House.
“So today we’ve agreed to a new and expanded Defence and Security Partnership, a decades-long commitment that will not only forge tighter bonds between us, but support your goal, Narendra, of 'Make in India',” Johnson said.
New Delhi lacks the expertise to assemble a fighter jet using domestic components. Even India’s indigenously assembled Tejas aircraft uses a US-built General Electric GE-F404IN engine.
Johnson also announced an “India-specific Open General Export Licence” aimed at facilitating procurement of modern British defence technology across land, sea, air, space and cyber domains.
Prime Minister Modi said that he “welcomed” the UK’s support for manufacturing in India through transfer of technology in the defence sector.
“We have also agreed to enhance cooperation in the defence sector,” Modi affirmed.
The joint statement released stated that both the leaders “reiterated their commitment to transform defence and security cooperation as a key pillar of the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and enhance engagements in support of a free, open and secure Indo Pacific.”
According to the
joint statement, the focus of the defence partnership would be on “co-development, indigenisation, transfer of technology and setting up of joint ventures for meeting the needs of the Armed Forces of India and other countries”.
The two countries also released a separate ‘India-United Kingdom
Cyber Statement’, as they pledged to “deepen co-ordination on mitigation strategies” for tackling cybercrime and other online threats.
Defence and Security a ‘Focus Area’ in India-UK Ties
Addressing the media on the outcomes of the meeting between the two leaders, Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla remarked that the defence and security partnership emerged as a “focus area” of the bilateral partnership.
Shringla underlined that “production in India” as well as “transfer of technology” from the UK were the “salient features” of bilateral cooperation in the sphere of security.
“Both leaders held detailed discussions on opportunities for collaborations, particularly the co-development and co-production of advanced defence technologies, including in areas such as electric propulsion, modern fighter aircraft jet engines, complex weapons and sub-sea radars, etc,” stated the Indian foreign secretary.
“What we are looking at is a combination of the UK's technology and our production base to make it a win-win situation,” he also remarked.
Shringla said that there will be exchanges between scientists and industrialists as well as on the level of National Security Advisors (NSAs) between the two countries in days ahead to chalk out the modalities of an expanded security partnership.
The Indian official also said that negotiations for a “comprehensive and balanced” free trade agreement between the two countries were expected to conclude by the end of October 2022.
Overall, six memoranda of understanding (MoUs) were signed between the two countries during Johnson’s visit, including a government-to-government (G2G) agreement on
cooperation in nuclear energy.
The UK has been eyeing free-trade agreements with other nations since its divorce from the EU. Negotiations on a
post-Brexit agreement with India, the largest foreign investor in the UK in 2019, kicked off last year.
Developing a close defence partnership with New Delhi is also a post-Brexit strategy under the banner of Britain’s “tilt” to the Asia-Pacific, an initiative aimed at countering Beijing’s rising political and military influence in the region.
