The U.S. State Department cleared the sale of predator Guardian drones to India, in a deal estimated to be worth $2-3 billion. According to General Atomics, the Predator Guardian UAV, a variant of the Predator B, can be used for wide-area, long- endurance maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
A joint statement issued after the India U.S. Summit at the White House, said, “President Trump and Prime Minister Modi pledged to deepen defense and security cooperation, building on the United States’ recognition of India as a Major Defense Partner.”
The U.S.-India Defense Technology and Trade Initiative remains the premier forum for deepening collaboration on defense co-development and co-production, it said.
Key military and civilian defense leaders continue to meet via reciprocal counterpart visits and strategic and policy dialogues, promoting closer service ties and improving inter-operability among our forces, the White House said.
Resolving to expand maritime security cooperation, the two countries announced their intention to build on the implementation of their “White Shipping” data-sharing arrangement that enhances collaboration on the maritime domain awareness. Trump welcomed Modi’s strong support for the U.S. to join as an Observer in the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium, reports the Times of India.
The annual MALABAR naval exercise, occurring in July in the Indian Ocean, will be the most complex to date, including participants from the U.S. Navy, Indian Navy, and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.
