India Eyeing Joint-Aircraft Production With UAE

India and UAE will strengthen defense and security cooperation and may sign some crucial agreements, including joint production of aircraft and also a portion of Rafale fighter jets.

India will strengthen their strategic partnership by setting up defense and security cooperation with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi who reached India on Tuesday upon invitation to become Chief Guest for the Republic Day parade.

"We are looking at armaments, we are looking at armoured personnel carriers. We are looking at joint-production of aircraft," Ministry of External Affairs Secretary Amar Sinha told journalists during a press conference on Tuesday.

India and UAE are also likely to discuss the production of a portion of Rafale in India.

"For example, as in the case of Rafale, which we are buying and UAE is also using (the Rafale), there is some interest. This is something that we can do together in terms of portion of the Rafale that would be built in India. Those are the areas that we are identifying and will work together," Amar Sinha added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will also discuss issues related to security cooperation.

"We will be working with them with intelligence sharing on specific terrorist threats besides on larger security issues such as their air defense systems, their anti-piracy patrolling. We are also cooperating on maritime and cyber security that emerges from online radicalization," added Sinha.