India, U.S. signed co-development agreement for ALUAV

Context

India and the United States had signed a Project Agreement (PA) for Air-Launched Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (ALUAV) under the ambit of the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI).

About Project Agreement 

• The PA was signed between the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and U.S. Department of Defence (DoD) by the co-chairs of the Joint Working Group (JWG) on Air Systems, under the DTTI.
• The PA 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 PA for the ALUAV fell under the Research, Development, Testing and Evaluation Memorandum of Agreement between MoD and U.S. DoD, 
  • which was first signed in January 2006 and renewed in January 2015.
• It was a significant step towards deepening defence technology collaboration between the two nations through co-development of defence equipment.
• The Aeronautical Development Establishment at the Defence Research and Development Organisation and the Aerospace Systems Directorate at the Air Force Research Laboratory, along with the Indian and U.S. Air Forces were the principal organisations for the execution of the PA.

What is the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI)?

• The DTTI mechanism was launched in 2012. It is not a treaty or a law.  
• It is a flexible mechanism to ensure that senior leaders from our nations are persistently focused on the opportunities and challenges associated with growing our defense partnership. 

The DTTI aims to:

• Transform the bilateral defense relationship into one that is limited only by independent strategic decisions, rather than bureaucratic obstacles or inefficient procedures.
• Strengthen India’s defense industrial base by moving away from the traditional “buyer-seller” dynamic toward a more collaborative approach.
• Explore new areas of technological collaboration from science and technology cooperation through co-development and co-production.
• Expand U.S.-Indian business ties.
• The first four projects under the DTTI were announced during President Barack Obama’s visit to New Delhi as chief guest for the 2015 Republic Day celebrations.
• India and the US are currently working on six projects under the DTTI framework and two more American proposals are under consideration.
• The whole idea of the DTTI was to cut through the government bureaucracies on the two sides. As a mechanism for defence cooperation, it has to focus on advanced technologies.