New Delhi: When US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter arrives in India on June 2 for his maiden visit, the two countries are scheduled to seal an amendment to the 2005 India-US Defence Framework Agreement to allow co-development and co-production of military hardware and platforms. The proposed amendment to the framework agreement will also include advanced joint exercises. The Pentagon has reportedly set up a Rapid Action Task Force to deal with military technology co-development and co-production.
The amendment is expected to breathe new life into the bilateral Defence Trade and Technology Initiative (DTTI) with a proposal to make Scorpion light attack aircraft in India as well as to use it as an intermediate jet trainer (IJT) for the Indian Air Force (IAF). Hindustan Times reports that it was Carter as Deputy Secretary (Defence) under Chuck Hagel who had initiated the DTTI government-to-government (G2G) programme with India.
Carter will be accompanied by US DTTI points person Under Secretary (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics) Frank Kendall. He will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and defence minister Manohar Parrikar, besides key defence and industry representatives.
A known defence expert, Carter took over as US defence secretary on February 17, 2015. During US President Barack Obamas Republic Day visit, in January, both countries had identified the Raven hand-launched UAV and C-130Js roll-on and roll-off reconnaissance and surveillance modules for G2G transfer under the DTTI apart from Washington offering hot engine jet technology and electromagnetic catapult for Indian-built aircraft carriers.
As Indian defence PSUs have failed to deliver on the Sitara IJT despite red-flagging by Air Force Chief Arup Raha, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has shown keen interest in Scorpion jet plane, jointly developed by Textron and AirLand Enterprises.
The Sitara IJT is under development since 1997. Powered by two Honeywell engines with missile hardpoints, the two seater sub-sonic Scorpion fits the IJT role and can also be used for intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance in war. The plane, which has been inducted into US Air Force, has a composite body with operating cost as low as $3,000 per hour compared to over $18,000 per hour for fourth generation US fighters. If India agrees to bring Scorpion under DTTI, then the company has plans to set up a manufacturing facility in the country, said a Delhi-based American diplomat.
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