(Image source from: bbc.com)

Two more mega defence deals with the United States have been finalized by India which is said to be worth over $3.5 billion which when converted to the Indian rupee would be Rs 25,000 crore for 30 heavy- duty armed helicopters, in the run- up to the visit which will be made by President of United States Donald Trump to India on the 24th and 25th of February.

The deals which are soon to be inked is said to be taking the total value of contracts of the Indian defence which are bagged by the United States since the year 2007 to well past the $20 billion mark.

The sources has said on Wednesday that the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) is said to clear the $2.6 billion deal for 24 MH- 60 ‘Romeo’ multi- mission helicopters for the Navy and the $930 million one for six AH- 64E Apache attack choppers for the Army, by the next week.

An initial 15 per cent instalment would be paid by India under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) government to government deal of the United States for the MH-60R helicopters and after the contract would get inked, the first lot of the choppers would get delivered in the next couple of years and all the twenty four choppers will be delivered in the next four to five years, as said by a source.

The direct commercial sale of the six Apaches is basically an order that has been followed to the 22 such helicopters which are already induced by the IAF under a deal that has been inked of Rs 13,952 crore with the United States in the month of September of the year 2015.

The MH- 60Rs that are armed with the Hellfire missiles, MK-54 torpedoes and also precision- kill rockets are said to be considered as a critical operational necessity for the navy as the warships of the Navy are virtual bereft of such helicopters at a time when the regular forays in the Indian Ocean Region are being made by the Chinese nuclear and diesel- electric submarines.

Currently, about a dozen old Sea King and around 10 Kamov- 28 anti- submarine warfare helicopters are being operational in the 140- warship force.

The President of United States Donald Trump is expected to push the case for a US fighter -- F/A- 18, F-15EX or F-21 which is the upgraded version of F- 16 to be selected for the Make in India project in order to produce 114 jets for the IAF for about $20 billion, in his visit to India.

The supply of 57 multi- role fighters which are capable of operating from the aircraft carriers are contended to be made by the United States for the Navy of India.

Around seven defence projects have also been identified by the United States and India for the co- development and the production under the bilateral Defence Technology and the Trade Initiative (DTTI) which include air- launched small aerial systems known as drone swarms, light- weight small arms technology, ISTAR systems which stands for intelligence, surveillance, targeting and reconnaissance and the anti- drone technology which is called as counter- UAS rocket, artillery and mortar systems, as reported by the Times Of India.

By Shrithika Kushangi