When Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets US President Joe Biden on Thursday in Washington, defense cooperation between the two countries will take a big step forward. The Pentagon will offer New Delhi the “Stryker” family of eight-wheeled armored fighting vehicles and the upgrade of M777 towed howitzers, as well as MQ-9 Reaper drones and the production of GE-F414 aircraft engines in India in exchange for a full transfer of technology.
Officials in New Delhi and Washington say that the final decision on Stryker and the upgrade of the M777 light weight howitzer will depend on the terms offered by the US. However, the defense equipment deals will be a big part of what comes out of the visit, which will also include a deal with Micron for a $2.7 billion chip plant in India and an agreement on quantum computing and artificial intelligence.
The Stryker is an armored military vehicle with a V-shaped hull and eight wheels. It is made by General Dynamics Land Systems and can respond quickly to any insurgency or war-like situation. The US army and NATO troops used the Stryker to fight the Taliban in Afghanistan. It had a 30 mm cannon and a 105 mm mobile gun that worked well. The US is giving India the infantry combat vehicle, and the Modi government wants to make the armored vehicle in India through the “Atmanirbhar Bharat” path.
The sources mentioned above also said that the US is willing to upgrade 155 mm M777 howitzers with precision-guided long-range ammunition to help India deal with the artillery threat on its northern borders. India already has 145 M777 howitzers. BAE Systems and Mahindra Defence Systems worked together to make 120 of these howitzers. Because the M777 gun is so light, it can be taken by helicopter to high tops in Jammu and Kashmir or Arunachal Pradesh in case of an emergency.
India and the US already have a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) about working together on cyber security. During PM Modi’s trip to the US, the two countries will strengthen their ties, and their shared goals will be expressed in a joint statement.
The biggest deal is likely to be for F-414 aircraft engines, which will be used to power jets made in India for the next ten years, as well as “hunter-killer” Reaper drones. These will help India compete with China, which has armed drones and has also sold them to Pakistan.
