India, US inks deal for Air-Launched Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
The agreement is a significant step towards deepening defense technology collaboration between India and the US
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New Delhi, Sept 3: India's Ministry of Defence and US Department of Defence signed a Project Agreement (PA) for Air-Launched Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (ALUAV). Both the countries have inked the deal under the Joint Working Group Air Systems in the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI).
The agreement is a significant step towards deepening defense technology collaboration between the two nations through the co-development of defense equipment. According to the statement, "The PA for ALUAV falls under the Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation (RDT&E) Memorandum of Agreement between Ministry of Defence and US Department of Defence, which was first signed in January 2006 and renewed in January 2015."
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The main aim is to bring sustained leadership focus to promote collaborative technology exchange and create opportunities for co-production and co-development of future technologies for Indian and US military forces. These working groups on land, naval, air, and aircraft carrier technologies have been established for focus on mutually agreed projects in respective domains.
The PA for co-development of ALUAV has been overseen by the Joint Working Group on Air Systems and is a major accomplishment for DTTI. The agreement outlines the collaboration between Air Force Research Laboratory, Indian Air Force, and Defence Research and Development Organisation towards design, development, demonstration, testing and evaluation of systems to co-develop an ALUAV Prototype.
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The Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) at DRDO and the Aerospace Systems Directorate at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), along with the Indian and US Air Forces, are the principal organisations for execution of PA.
Apart from that, the agreement was signed by the co-chairs of the Joint Working Group Air Systems under DTTI, Assistant Chief of Air Staff for Plans Air Vice Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari from the Indian Air Force and Director, Air Force Security Assistance and Cooperation Directorate Brigadier General Brian R. Bruckbauer from the US Air Force.