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NEW DELHI: India and the United States are likely to expedite during US President Barack Obama's visit discussions on joint production of electromagnetic system to smoothen takeoff and landing of fighter jets on board India's indigenously developed aircraft carrier.
Officials said India is keen to jointly develop Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) with the US for the aircraft carrier that is under production in Kochi.
Frank Kendall, the US undersecretary of defence for acquisition, technology and logistics, who is arriving ahead of Obama, will discuss with his Indian counterparts the possibility of joint production of defence items including EMALS, officials said, adding there is a possibility that EMALS might be one of the items where chances of joint production are high.
India currently operates two aircraft carriers, one stationed along its eastern coast and the other along the western coast.
EMALS is a system under development by the US Navy using a linear motor drive instead of the conventional steam piston drive. Kendall, who is visiting India after the Russian defence minister came calling, is expected to give momentum to the Defence Trade and Technology Initiative (DTTI), which promotes collaboration in defence technology and enables co-production and co-development of critical defence system.
Besides EMALS, Kendall's discussions will focus on joint production of unmanned aerial vehicles and systems for the C-130 military transport aircraft built by Lockheed Martin Corp. Some projects could be announced after the summit meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Obama, officials indicated. India has received five C-130Js built by Lockheed Martin and it has placed orders for six planes, parts of which will be delivered by 2017 and the jet planes will be delivered by 2017.< ..
DTTI will be a critical aspect of the renewed defence pact that is expected to be signed during Obama's visit.
The India-US defence framework agreement, which expires this year, was signed in the US in 2005 by the then defence minister Pranab Mukherjee and his US counterpart Donald Rumsfeld in the George W Bush administration.
The new framework is likely to enhance the bilateral defence partnership by stepping up joint military exercises and through more in-depth intelligence-sharing, maritime security, among other issues.
Read more at:
Obama in India: India keen to jointly develop Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System with US - The Economic Times