India, US to jointly develop defense tech projects: US

Washington, March 27

India and the US will jointly work on several defence technology projects in an effort to develop a "vibrant science and technology cooperation" to strengthen national, regional and global security, a senior White House official has told American lawmakers.

"Developing vibrant defense science and technology cooperation is one of the key steps in building enduring partnership between India and the United States.

"In support of these efforts, researchers from the Department of Defense and the Indian Ministry of Defense are discussing potential research collaborations in developing models of cognitive fatigue, artificial cognition and traumatic brain injury," Jo Handelsman, associate director for science at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy told lawmakers during a Congressional hearing.

He said that last year US President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had expressed their "intention to expand defense cooperation to bolster national, regional, and global security."

They had said India and the US would build an enduring partnership in which both sides could treat each other at the same level as their closest partners in the sectors of defense technology transfers, trade, research, co-production and co-development, he said.

The two countries had renewed their 10-year Defense Framework Agreement during Obama's Republic Day visit to India in January.

PTI