US big-ticket military tie-ups |
The US has now proposed joint development and production of futuristic military helicopters as well as infantry combat vehicles in the first such big-ticket programmes under the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative+ (DTTI) with India.Top government sources said the two projects would be discussed threadbare in the ensuing DTTI meeting (probably February) after the Donald Trump administration takes over in the US on January 20. India has already shown interest in the US offer for participation in its `future vertical-lift (FVL) aircraft` programme, which includes development of five different helicopters or `capability sets` over the next 15 years at a cost of around $8 . The US has also suggested that the future infantry combat vehicle (FICV) project can be a trilateral venture with the inclusion of Israel. India is in a wait-and-watch mode about this proposal since it`s trying to finalise its own Rs 60,000-crore FICV project , with two private sector players and the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) in the reckoning for prototype development.
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