Rajnath visits submarine testing facility in U.S.

In a reflection of the growing cooperation in undersea domain and anti-submarine warfare between India and the U.S., also a priority area between the Quad partners, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, during his ongoing tour in the U.S., visited the William B Morgan Large Cavitation Channel in the Naval Surface Warfare Centre at Memphis, Tennessee, as India also plans to set up a similar facility. “The discussions also intend to support the ongoing proposal for establishment of similar facility for indigenous design and development in India.” After maritime domain awareness, undersea domain awareness has emerged as a key focus area for India and among the Quad as China rapidly expands its maritime presence in the Indian Ocean and larger Indo-Pacific. Elaborating of the process, the DoD statement said that in the arrangement, the U.S. and India “commit to support one another’s priority delivery requests” for procurement of critical national defence resources. “The U.S. will provide India assurances under the U.S. Defence Priorities and Allocations System, with programme determinations by DoD and rating authorisation by the Department of Commerce,” it said, adding that India will in turn 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 U.S. priority support.