PM Modi and President Biden Strengthen US-India Defense Ties in Delaware Meeting
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden met in Wilmington, Delaware, to discuss the progress made under the US-India Defense Industrial Cooperation Roadmap. They emphasized the importance of deepening the military partnership between the two nations to maintain a ‘free and open Indo-Pacific.’
Key Highlights
The leaders welcomed the ongoing efforts to enhance cooperation in advanced domains such as space and cyber. President Biden acknowledged India’s progress in procuring 31 General Atomics MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft, which will boost India’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities.
Both leaders recognized the significant advancements in co-production arrangements for jet engines, munitions, and ground mobility systems. They also applauded the collaboration between Liquid Robotics and Sagar Defence Engineering for developing unmanned surface vehicle systems.
Special Meeting and Delegations
The meeting was held at President Biden’s home in Wilmington, Delaware, on the sidelines of the Quad Leaders’ Summit. The US delegation included Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti. The Indian delegation comprised External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Indian Ambassador to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.
Defense and Aerospace Cooperation
The leaders celebrated the new Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility in India for the C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, established through a partnership between Lockheed Martin and Tata Advanced Systems Limited. This facility will support the readiness of the Indian fleet and global partners.
They also noted the growing defense innovation collaboration fostered by the India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) initiative and the progress made during the third INDUS-X Summit in Silicon Valley.
Future Collaborations
PM Modi and President Biden looked forward to the November 2024 bilateral cyber engagement to enhance the US-India cyber cooperation framework. They also welcomed the second US-India Advanced Domains Defence Dialogue in May 2024, which included the first-ever bilateral defense space table-top exercise.
The leaders concluded by reaffirming their commitment to expanding defense industrial partnerships and fostering innovation to support India’s goal of becoming a leading aviation hub.
Doubts Revealed
PM Modi -: PM Modi is the Prime Minister of India. His full name is Narendra Modi.
President Biden -: President Biden is the President of the United States. His full name is Joe Biden.
Delaware -: Delaware is a small state in the United States. It is where the meeting took place.
Defense Industrial Cooperation Roadmap -: This is a plan for India and the US to work together on making and improving defense equipment.
military partnerships -: This means that the armies of India and the US will work together more closely.
space and cyber -: Space refers to outer space, and cyber refers to the internet and computer networks.
General Atomics MQ-9B aircraft -: These are advanced drones used for surveillance and other military purposes.
MRO facility -: MRO stands for Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul. This facility will help fix and maintain aircraft.
C-130J Super Hercules aircraft -: These are large military transport planes used to carry troops and supplies.
cybersecurity -: This is the practice of protecting computers and networks from attacks.
defense innovation -: This means creating new and better technologies for the military.
