Australia had formally requested for a “quadrilateral dialogue” with the intent of joining the “India-U.S.-Japan” trilateral talks as part of the “Asia dialogue” that has been going on all week, sources say. The country wanted to join the Indo-U.S. ‘Malabar’ naval exercises annually, along with Japan.
The request was reportedly made during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit in November and the issue may raise “tripwires over the China factor,” according to some officials.
According to sources, U.S. and Indian officials are also discussing the announcement of one or two projects under the Defence Trade and Technological Initiative (DTTI), which they hope to pitch as a part of the government’s “Make in India” initiative.
While officials would not confirm which projects will be picked, they pointed to aircraft components and helicopter parts jointly produced by U.S. companies such as Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky and the Tatas as the way forward.
An earlier U.S. proposal to produce the Javelin anti-tank missiles in India had failed as India chose the Israeli “Spike” missiles instead. However, U.S. interlocutors have pointed to the proposal as an example of how America is now offering India “exclusive” deals they have not offered other countries.
“We want to move beyond a buyer-seller relationship, towards one of co-development and co-production, where both our nations will benefit,” said Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, Puneet Talwar, who visited Delhi earlier this month to take the negotiations forward.
