Delegates attend the inaugural ceremony of the Aero India 2025 at the Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bengaluru on February 10, 2025
| Photo Credit: Getty Images
The United Kingdom on Monday (February 10, 2025) announced the formal launch of “Defence Partnership–India”, or DP-I, a dedicated cell within the U.K. Ministry of Defence for deepening cooperation with India. The Aero India also saw several defence cooperation agreements between India and the U.K., which covered production of Man Portable Air Defence Systems (MANPADS) and Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMM), as well as establishment of an Advanced Short-Range Air to Air Missile (ASRAAM) assembly and test facility in India. A Statement of Intent (SoI) was also signed to design and develop an Integrated Full Electric Propulsion (IFEP) system for Indian Navy ships.
U.K. Defence Minister Lord Vernon Coaker announced the DP-I while opening the U.K.-India Defence Partnership pavilion at Aero India, and the dedicated programme office within the U.K.’s Ministry of Defence will serve as a one-stop shop for strengthening bilateral defence collaboration, the U.K. High Commission said in a statement.
Thales U.K. and Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) signed a contract that will deliver Laser Beam-Riding MANPADs (LBRMs), with an initial supply of STARStreak high-velocity missiles and launchers set for delivery this year.
In another development, following the signing of this initial LBRM contract, both Thales and BDL will further collaborate to produce LMMs, the statement said. This “develops and expands the partnership between Indian and British industry, laying the foundation for BDL and Indian industry to form an integral part of Thales’ global supply chain”, it stated. “It will address mutual security concerns, create jobs in both countries and enable interoperability by both armies.”
The statement further announced that MBDA U.K. and BDL were working on the installation of a first-of-its-kind ASRAAM assembly and test facility in Hyderabad, for missiles that would be carried by the Jaguar and Light Combat Aircraft-Mk1A. Officials said that the missiles would be manufactured here for export too.
On the maritime front, the event saw a SoI to design and develop an IFEP system for the Navy’s next generation Landing Platform Dock (LPD) fleet. Meanwhile, the General Electric (GE) Vernova and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) are working to develop India’s first maritime Land-Based Testing Facility to deliver LPDs in the water by 2030, the statement added.
India is taking significant steps in its journey to become Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) in its defence capabilities, Lindy Cameron, British High Commissioner said. “The U.K. is really looking forward to working with India as a partner of choice in supporting this ambition: collaborating on defence technologies lies at the heart of this. These are landmark agreements that support our economic growth and joint security.”
Published – February 10, 2025 10:06 pm IST