India, UK defense consultations begin in Delhi
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
New Delhi, April 28, IRNA -- The two-day meeting of the Indo-UK Defense Consultative Group (DCG) began here Tuesday. According to local press reports, the two delegations headed by the India`s Defense Secretary Ajay Prasad and the British Permanent Under Secretary for Defense Kevin Tebbit will discuss the holding of joint exercises, continuing with bilateral exchanges of cadets and students at defense and staff colleges, stepping up attendance at training courses and defense equipment cooperation. The eighth DCG meeting is taking place against the backdrop of India sealing 18 years of negotiations for a multi-billion dollar deal to purchase and subsequently manufacture advanced jet trainers. The DCG, the formal mechanism for maintaining and developing the Indo-British defense relationship, has three sub-groups covering military-to-military contacts, defense equipment and science and technology. The DCG was constituted in March 1995 and its meeting is held every alternate year in India and UK. It last met in London in June 2003. The meeting takes place with the broader aim of promoting mutual understanding of Indian and British strategic and security interests, greater familiarization between the armed forces by providing increased opportunities for interaction and training and developing the potential for collaborative defense equipment and research projects. In the area of joint training, further naval visits will be discussed. Three British Navy and British Fleet Auxiliary ships visited India this year to maintain professional contact between the two navies. British Air Force and Indian Air Force visits continue on a regular basis; the Chief of Air Staff S. Krishnaswamy, will visit the UK in late June. A joint army deployment command post exercise, `Exercise Emerald Mercury` is being planned for spring 2005 in southern India, following Indian attendance at joint operation planning courses in the UK. A reciprocal course in India is being planned later this year. Further exchange initiatives are planned to include exercise observers, mountain and jungle warfare specialists, defense management and other institutions. About 25 UK military personnel are expected to visit India to attend courses in 2004-05 and over 40 Indian personnel will undertake training in the UK. In addition, the UK also plans to run courses in India (or neighboring countries, with Indian participation) on the planning of joint operations, peacekeeping, defense management and disaster management. Talks on defense equipment cooperation will cover a wide area, including India`s recent purchase of British Aerospace`s Hawk to meet the IAF`s requirement for an Advanced Jet Trainer. Separate service- to-service staff talks will be held in due course to further develop army, navy and air force contacts and bilateral initiatives. The meeting will also pick up the threads of the previous meeting held in London where several operationally-related training activities between the two armed forces were discussed. These and other events are expected to give the armed forces of both countries an opportunity to understand each other`s operating procedures, while enhancing bilateral defense cooperation. This is the latest in a series of high-level British military visits to India. The 10-member UK delegation includes the assistant chief of defense staff, the defense adviser in the British High Commission (BHC), the adviser, science and technology, and the BHC assistant defense adviser. The Indian team includes additional secretaries Ranjit Issar and H.C. Gupta and the Assistant Chief of Integrated Defense Staff P.K. Barbora. Earlier Tebbit called on Prasad, Air Chief Marshal Krishnaswamy and the Vice Chief of Army Staff, S. Choudhary. 2160/1430/AH/210
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