India, Saudi Arabia To Jointly Explore Weapons Projects

Following discussions between Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony and Saudi Defense Minister Prince Salman Bin in Riyadh on Feb.14, both countries will explore the development and production of weapons and technology. Antony led an official two-day visit to Saudi Arabia Feb. 13-14 where he was joined by Lt. Gen. S.K. Singh, the Army vice chief; and Vice Adm. Satish Soni, the deputy Navy chief. According to various news reports, India and Saudi Arabia have decided to set up a panel to work out the path to defense cooperation. “At the delegation-level talks, India and Saudi Arabia decided to set up a Joint Committee on Defence Cooperation to work out the contours of the relationship,” Sitanshu Kar, a spokesman with the Defence Ministry was quoted as saying. In the next five years, India plans to spend about $100 billion on weapons and equipment and about 70 percent of its weapon and equipment requirements through imports, and defense planners want to reduce that to less than 50 percent. According to a Defense Ministry official, Antony and Salman Bin have agreed to establish a joint committee to plan out the details of future defense cooperation, including an agreement in the defense sector. India is currently studying a Saudi proposal to set up a mountain warfare training school in Saudi Arabia.