U.S. President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a series of defense and commercial deals designed to improve military and economic ties between their nations during Thursday’s state visit at the White House.
General Electric plans to jointly manufacture F414 engines with state-owned Indian firm Hindustan Aeronautics for the Tejas light-combat aircraft, as part of an effort to improve defense- and technology-sharing as China becomes more assertive in the Indo-Pacific.
Biden and Modi also announced new defense collaborations, including progress on an order for MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones made by General Atomics, and an agreement that will allow U.S. Navy ships to undertake major repairs at Indian shipyards.