"We established an ambitious new roadmap for defence industrial cooperation, which will fast track high priority co-development and co-production projects," US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said as he wrapped up an overnight visit to New Delhi.Moscow and New Delhi have been allies for decades, with Russia by far India's biggest arms supplier.
The agreement will fast-track technology cooperation and co-production in areas including air combat and land mobility systems, the "undersea domain", and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, the US Defense Department said. At the same time, Washington and Beijing are engaged in fierce competition on diplomatic, military, technological and economic fronts.But India is walking a diplomatic tightrope: uniquely, it is a member of both the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, which includes Russia and China, and the Quad, set up with the United States, Japan, and Australia to counter Beijing's growing assertiveness.
"But unless something concrete emerges I remain sceptical. The right path has to be backed with firm contracts and firm assurances."