US and India to Co-Produce Stryker Combat Vehicles: Talks Advance

US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell announced that talks between the US and India on co-manufacturing the latest generation of Stryker, an eight-wheeled armored infantry combat vehicle, have progressed. This follows meetings in New Delhi involving White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, PM Narendra Modi, and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.

Campbell, who accompanied Sullivan for the key meetings of the US-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET), stated, “India has expressed an interest in the co-production of the Stryker combat vehicle.” He added that the US Army will demonstrate the capabilities of the Stryker to the Indian Army as an early opportunity.

The collaboration aims to boost India’s military capabilities and reduce dependence on Russian weapons, with Russia currently being the largest supplier of defense hardware to India. Campbell addressed concerns about sharing sensitive technology with India, stating that steps will be taken to mitigate any risks.

Additionally, Campbell mentioned that a letter of offer and acceptance for MQ-9B drones was delivered to India in early March, and General Atomics is negotiating the details of the sale with the Indian Ministry of Defence.

On June 18, Campbell met with Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and Deputy National Security Advisor Vikram Misri in New Delhi to discuss strengthening the US-India partnership and regional coordination across the Indo-Pacific region, including through the Quad partnership.