Indian Prime Minister to visit US, "hint" at large UAV deal and a series of defense cooperation

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is in India to prepare for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US on June 22, which is expected to promote the UAV deal.

Quan hệ quốc phòng Mỹ-Ấn chứng kiến dấu mốc mới

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on June 13 in New Delhi. (Source: Twitter)

On June 13, Mr. Sullivan met with Prime Minister Modi, held talks with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval and is scheduled to meet Mr. Doval again a day later. The White House official will also meet with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar during the two-day visit.

Speaking at a business and industry gathering in New Delhi, Mr. Sullivan affirmed that the upcoming visit is a step to help remove barriers to defense and high-tech trade and help unleash the research capabilities of defense researchers of both countries.

The removal list includes key development areas such as 5G and 6G telecommunications technology, semiconductor supply chains, artificial intelligence, advanced computing and biotechnology.

June 22 marks an important milestone in US-India bilateral relations as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins his visit to the United States.

During the visit, the administration of US President Joe Biden plans to promote the sale of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to New Delhi.

India has long expressed interest in purchasing large armed UAVs from the US. However, bureaucratic red tape in the South Asian country has hampered the $2-3 billion MQ-9B SeaGuardian deal. So the upcoming high-level contact is expected to break the current impasse.

In addition, President Biden and Prime Minister Modi will also discuss the possibility of cooperation in the production of ammunition and infantry vehicles, such as armored personnel carriers.

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