Page 6 - ADT APRIL - MAY 2021 Online Magazine

A Growing [ ANALYSIS ]
Modi set out a shared vision for the UK-India
defence partnership and agreed to advance
the relationship to a new level, with a particular
focus on maritime and industrial collaboration.

Bond In a virtual bilateral summit, the two leaders
reaffirmed the benefits of closer co-operation
in a free and open Indo-Pacific, recognizing the
countries’ shared interest in regional prosperity
and stability. The leaders agreed to significantly
increase new cooperation on maritime domain
awareness, including new agreements on mari-
time information sharing, an invitation to the UK
INDIA-UK DEFENCE RELATIONSHIP to join India’s Information Fusion Centre, and an
IS FINALLY GROWING INTO A PARTNERSHIP ambitious exercise programme that includes
joint tri-lateral exercises.
OF EQUALS British High Commissioner to India, Alex Ellis,
said: “The UK and India are natural partners in
defence and security. The latest agreements
Jay Menon underline our shared ambition for that part-
nership, enhancing cooperation, building joint
expertise and accelerating industrial coopera-
Post-Brexit, the United Kingdom (UK) is carving out a new direc- tion, building up to the arrival of our new aircraft
tion and purpose to its foreign policy. As part of this effort, the carrier and its accompanying ships to India this
UK is aiming to upscale bilateral relations and cooperation with autumn.”
India in an expanded G7, the Association of South-East Asian UK’s Carrier Strike Group 2021, led by HMS
Nations (ASEAN), and mini-lateral initiatives like the ‘Quad Plus’ Queen Elizabeth, is set to sail to India in the
arrangement. autumn on its maiden operational deployment.
In addition to commitments on the Indo-Pacific,
Despite the cancellation of UK Prime Minster Boris Johnson’s visit the two countries agreed to enhance existing
to India twice this year – in January and April – due to the worsening government-to-government collaboration on
COVID-19 pandemic, London and New Delhi are making progress in India’s future combat air engine requirement.
their attempts to forge a closer and more meaningful partnership. As part of a ‘2030 Roadmap’, the two countries
will work closely together in support of India’s
Full Steam Ahead indigenous development of the Light Combat
On May 4, 2021, Johnson and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Aircraft (LCA) Tejas MK 2. “This agreement

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