New Delhi : India and the United States had signed a project agreement for Air-Launched Unmanned Aerial Vehicle in the end of July, an official statement said on Friday.
“Ministry of Defence and US Department of Defence signed a Project Agreement (PA) for Air-Launched Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (ALUAV) under the Joint Working Group Air Systems in the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) on July 30, 2021,” the Defence Ministry said in a statement.
The agreement for ALUAV falls under the Research, Development, Testing and Evaluation (RDT&E) Memorandum of Agreement between Defence Ministry and US Department of Defence, which was first signed in January 2006 and renewed in January 2015.
“The agreement is a significant step towards deepening defence technology collaboration between the two nations through co-development of defence equipment,” the Ministry said.
The main DTTI is an agreement for co-production and development of military technologies between the two countries.
Under DTTI, Joint Working Groups on land, naval, air, and aircraft carrier technologies have been established for focus on mutually agreed projects in respective domains.
“The project agreements for co-development of ALUAV has been overseen by the Joint Working Group on Air Systems and is a major accomplishment for DTTI,” the statement said.
The project agreement outlines the collaboration between Air Force Research Laboratory, Indian Air Force, and Defence Research and Development Organisation towards design, development, demonstration, testing and evaluation of systems to co-develop an ALUAV Prototype. The Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) at DRDO and the Aerospace Systems Directorate at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), along with the Indian and US Air Forces, are the principal organisations for execution of PA.
The agreement was signed by the co-chairs of the Joint Working Group Air Systems under DTTI, Assistant Chief of Air Staff for Plans Air Vice Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari from the Indian Air Force and Director, Air Force Security Assistance and Cooperation Directorate Brigadier General Brian R Bruckbauer from the US Air Force.
