The United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has approved a possible foreign military sale of anti-submarine warfare Sonobuoys
US Approves Sale Of Anti Submarine Warfare Sonobuoys To India
The United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has approved a possible foreign military sale of anti-submarine warfare Sonobuoys and related equipment to India at an estimated cost of USD 52.8 million. “The Government of India has requested to buy AN/SSQ-53G High Altitude Anti-Submarine Warfare (HAASW) sonobuoys; AN/SSQ-62F HAASW sonobuoys; AN/SSQ-36 sonobuoys; technical and publications and data documentation; US Government and contractor engineering and technical support; and other related elements of logistics and program services and support. The estimated total cost is USD 52.8 million,” the agency stated.
The United States (US) and India have signed an agreement to provide reciprocal priority support for goods and services that promote national defence. The arrangement will enable both countries to acquire the industrial resources they need from one another to resolve unanticipated supply chain disruptions to meet national security needs.
The Security of Supply Arrangement (SOSA) was signed by Vic Ramdass, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for Industrial Base Policy, on behalf of the United States, and Samir Kumar Sinha, Additional Secretary and Director General (Acquisitions), on behalf of the Indian Ministry of Defence. India is the 18th SOSA partner of the US after Australia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
SOSA comes five years after India and the US signed the Industrial Security Agreement to shore up defence cooperation. It allows the US government and American original equipment manufacturers to share classified information with private Indian defence firms. The US and India committed under SOSA to support one another’s priority delivery requests for the procurement of critical national defense resources.
Washington will provide India assurances under the US Defense Priorities and Allocations System with program determinations by the US Department of Defense and rating authorization by the Department of Commerce (DOC). India will establish a government-industry Code of Conduct with its industrial base, where Indian firms will voluntarily agree to make every reasonable effort to provide the US priority support.
“This Security of Supply Arrangement represents a pivotal moment in the US – India Major Defence Partner relationship and will be a key factor in strengthening the US- India Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI),” said Ramdass.
