India-US defence talks on; Tejas engine deliveries, follow-on orders fast-tracked
Earlier, government sources denied a Reuters report claiming that India is likely to pause arms and aircraft purchases from the US after Trump hiked tariffs to 50 per cent. Government sources termed the report as "false and fabricated" and said no decision has been taken to cancel defence deals with Washington, DC, and that the status quo on defence procurement has been maintained.A team from the US is expected to be in India next month for the negotiations with India for defence procurements. Denying the speculative reports about India pausing the orders for defence equipment from the US, the sources in the MoD said that the discussions for the six more P8I aircraft from the US for the Indian Navy are still on the table. There has been no change in the defence procurement process after the tariff was hiked by US President Donald Trump. Apart from the engine procurement for the Tejas programme, there are deliberations about the Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) procurement on which an announcement is expected soon. While India's Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative prioritises indigenous fighter jets, foreign acquisitions remain an option to bridge capability gaps, especially with MiG squadrons retiring, and the overall fighter strength expected to drop to 29 squadrons. All potential options will be assessed on multiple parameters. The Indian Air Force and Navy already operate Rafales, and according to sources, the IAF has recommended them for the MRFA programme. However, the Ministry of Defence may also consider alternatives such as the Russian Su-35, additional US fighters, and Swedish models. There has been no indication of interest in the US F-35. In the wake of Operation Sindoor, defence procurements are being pursued at an accelerated pace.- Ends
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