New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will open the Defence Acquisition Council meeting today in preparation for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming trip to the United States.
Senior military and Defence Ministry officials will attend the meeting, according to ANI's reporting of the matter with quotes from defence officials. Purchasing MQ-9 Reaper armed drones from the United States will be one of the main topics of discussion.
Discussions of various indigenous defence deals are also on the agenda for the meeting.
Also Read: Philippine military: Daesh leader was reportedly killed in the south of the country
Defence sources claim that a significant high-level meeting is scheduled to discuss the purchase of MQ-9 drones. According to ANI, there were initially plans to reduce the number of drones from 30 to 18 or even fewer.
The most recent data, however, indicates that India is probably going to stick with its original plan to buy 30 drones, 10 of which would go to each of the three services.
The pursuit of the acquisition of these drones has been spearheaded by the Indian Navy, which has been actively involved in the matter. The fact that all three services intend to buy comparable models of medium-altitude and long-endurance drones from domestic suppliers shows a greater dedication to advancing their drone capabilities.
Earlier in the day, US Representative Richard McCormick emphasised the value of strengthening India-US relations on the diplomatic, military, and economic fronts. He emphasised that lawmakers from both the Democratic and Republican parties ought to give India high priority as a significant "future partner" in a number of areas.
Also Read: UK police are looking for a reason behind the murders in Nottingham
Media reports claim that the Biden administration is pleading with India to remove administrative roadblocks and move forward with a long-awaited agreement for the purchase of armed drones made in the United States. The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's impending trip to Washington is the reason for this push.
The co-production of munitions and ground vehicles, including armoured personnel carriers, is something that President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are likely to discuss during Modi's visit to Washington.
The Indian government has the authority to decide whether to purchase MQ-9 drones, and representatives of the Biden administration have emphasised the potential benefits of doing so while respecting India's autonomy in making that choice.
Also Read: Saudi assistance in a significant drug bust made Malaysia grateful
According to experts, President Joe Biden has made it a priority to improve ties with India as part of his strategy to counter China's growing sway in the world. Despite the lack of a formal security alliance, cooperation between the two biggest democracies in the world regarding cutting-edge military technologies has received a lot of attention this year.