For the first time, leading state-owned defence firms and private contractors will meet top US weapons manufacturers in Washington as part of Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s visit to the US.At a luncheon meeting, the Defence Minister and business delegations from both sides will meet at the US-India Business Council (USIBC) to identify areas of collaboration in defence. Unscheduled one-on-one meetings will follow. The Indo-US projects will soon be regulated by a Research Development Testing & Evaluation (RTDE) pact likely to be finalised during the visit.Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), Bharat Earth Movers (BEML) and Bharat Electronics (BEL) from the public sector and L&T and Tata Power among others from the private domain will talk with leading American firms, including Lockheed-Martin, Northrop-Grumman, Boeing, United Defense, Raytheon, and General Dynamics.Sources at the Department for Defence Production (whose Secretary Shekhar Dutt is part of the Minister’s entourage) said the new policy which mandated investment by foreign suppliers in the Indian defence industry, gave Indian firms an added edge while tying up with firms in the US. So far, the three state-owned firms which are part of the delegation, only had supply arrangements with the US.This time things will be different. Pushing for large supplies to New Delhi, Washington is keen to engage the government at a higher level.Bharat Electronics, which manufactures radars and surveillance products, has already been offered a chance to co-produce Master-A low level 3D radars by French firm Thales. BEL, though, is keen on working with two top military electronics firms of US, Raytheon and Northrop-Grumman.HAL, fresh from fruitful talks at the Paris air show will also be looking to identify outsourcing deals and joint development of aircraft sub-systems. Its chairman Ashok Baweja is likely to propose manufacture of parts for US aviation majors like Boeing, General Dynamics, and Textron (Bell Helicopter and Cessna).
