The Trump administration is expected to pressurize India to increase military sales from the US, which has already reached well over$ 25 billion since 2007 in terms of everything from fighter jets to armored combat vehicles to aero-engines and missiles, according to new Delhi.
In his phone conversation with Prime Minister Modi on Monday, President Donald Trump made a clear call to India to raise its procurement of US-made weapons systems and platforms.
” India will have to discuss thoroughly with the new Trump presidency. US military technology is undoubtedly excellent, but it will need to be integrated into our” Make in India” strategy with international cooperation at a fair price. India wants co-development and co-production instead of just outright payments”, a top official said.
Trump’s press comes just four months after India signed a$ 31 billion, mildly piloted MQ-9B Predator aircraft contract with the US government, and another$ 52 million contract was signed with General Atomics to establish an MRO facility here.
But that was during the final weeks of the Biden administration. Trump did want his own lb of flesh in terms of great deals, aside from corporate convergence on a number of fronts.
There are, of course, the continued techno-commercial conversations, which began last quarter, for co-production of the American General Electric F414-INS6 aero-engines with Hindustan Aeronautics in India for Tejas Mark-II soldiers. The deal, which involves 80 % transfer of technology of engine parts of the total value, will cost around$ 1.5 billion.
In addition, the US has been selling the most recent generation of Stryker infantry combat vehicles ( ICVs ) together as part of the bilateral defence-industrial cooperation roadmap, which was approved in June 2023.
The US slowly demonstrated the freedom and power of the eight-wheeled Stryker, with the Javelin anti-tank guided missiles, in high-altitude Ladakh in September, amid some censure of indigenous options being ignored in the process, while the Army projected a need for 527 turned ICVs as part of its little bigger plan for automated infantry units.
The US is also eyeing IAF’s long-standing quest for 114 new multi-role fighter aircraft ( MRFA ) to be manufactured in India, at an initial estimate of Rs 1.25 lakh crore, with foreign collaboration. The US will become showcasing its F-16 and fifth-generation F-35 soldiers at the Aero-India in Bengaluru from February 10 to 14, with the defense ministry now working to tear the project-logjam.
India’s prepared$ 1.1 billion order of high-end specialized equipment and follow-on support is also planned for the 24 submarine-hunting MH-60R Seahawk helicopters that are already being commissioned into the Navy as part of a$ 2.13 billion deal signed with the US in February 2020.
To add to the 12 long-range maritime patrol aircraft that the US has already purchased for$ 3.2 billion, the country should also purchase six more P-8Is, which it has already purchased for$ 3.2 billion.
