Defence Minister Rajnath to visit US this week for acquiring Predator drones, missiles and guided bombs
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will embark on a four-day visit to the US beginning August 23 to strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership. During the visit, Singh will engage in talks with US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, focusing on key defence cooperation initiatives, including the procurement of 31 MQ-9B Predator drones, joint manufacturing of Stryker infantry combat vehicles, and the co-production of GE F414 engines in India.
The Defence Ministry announced that Singh's visit aims to deepen and broaden the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, in light of the growing momentum in bilateral relations and defence engagements. Officials highlighted the significance of Singh’s meetings, noting that the Indian Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has recently cleared the MQ-9B Predator drone deal with certain amendments, and the Indian Navy’s partnership with HawkEye 360 as part of the QUAD Indo-Pacific Partnership of Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA).
“The visit is expected to further deepen and broaden the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership,” the Defence Ministry stated while announcing Singh’s trip to the US from August 23 to 26.
Singh will also chair a high-level roundtable meeting with the US defence industry, discussing ongoing and future defence collaborations. Furthermore, he will interact with the Indian community during his visit.
Upon adding amendments to the MQ-9B Predator drone deal, the DAC has
