The Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon has met with is Indian counterpart, Arun Jaitley, as the two countries set out their shared vision for the India-UK Defence Partnership.
The meeting took place last week and reaffirmed UK-India defence cooperation in the framework of the Defence and International Security Partnership that was agreed in November 2015, and the subsequent Joint Statement between the governments of India and the UK in November 2016.
The Ministry of Defence said the defence partnership would not only include cooperation in defence industry but also stronger military to military engagement, including training and advanced joint exercises.
Capability and technology development will be central to the agreement as both countries seek to exploit their strengths in defence manufacturing and utilising combined strengths of their respective private and public sectors to develop defence solutions for use in both home and shared export markets.
Tackling international terrorism will be a key focus, with Ministers keen to further strengthen their naval and maritime interactions as part of these efforts.
Specialised training programmes and a pooling of expertise will be explored in Counter Terrorism, Counter Improvised Explosive Devices, Air Force Training, Air Total Safety, Aircraft Carriers, Maritime Safety, Shipbuilding and UN Peacekeeping.
UK Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said: “As Britain steps up globally, we continue to develop our close security partnership with India. Our countries are recognised globally as leaders in defence and we remain steadfast in our commitment to regional security, growing our defence industries and supporting our mutual interests.
“Our nations face the same threats and we will work closely together to harness British expertise and Indian brain power to develop cutting edge technologies and equipment that benefit both of our Armed Forces.”
Over the past decade, the UK has exported £2.15Bn of defence equipment and services to India.
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