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| India-Pakistan |
| Germany offers weapon systems, defence technology to India |
| 2007-06-04 |
| Seeking to establish a presence in the country's burgeoning arms market, Germany today offered to sell frontline hi-tech weapons systems to India and to provide technology for the joint development of military hardware. The offer was made by visiting German Defence Minister Franz Joseph Jung during an hour-long meeting with his Indian counterpart A K Antony. Jung is accompanied by a high-level delegation and top officials of German armament companies. "Germany is ready to transfer technology as well as go in for joint development and production of weapons systems," Jung told Antony, according to Indian officials. Over the past decade, German armament firms have seen sales in India plunge to hardly one per cent of the Indian defence market, while companies from neighbouring France and Russia have managed to corner 55 per cent of the market, which is estimated to be worth over a billion dollars this year. German shipbuilding giant HDW wants to vie for India's second submarine line when New Delhi calls for international tenders later this year or early next year. Under the Navy's 20-year submarine building plan, India wants to build two types of submarines. India has already inked a six billion-dollar deal with French firms for building six Scorpene submarines. Russia, with its Amur-Class submarines, and Germany, with its advanced HDW vessels, would be contenders for the proposed Indian deal for a second submarine building facility. Jung's visit to India comes ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's trip to Germany to attend the crucial G-8 meet. Berlin has also expressed its interest in supplying civilian nuclear reactors to India once the nuclear suppliers group changes its guidelines. The Germans are also keen to bid for the Indian Army's contract to buy 155mm tracked and wheeled .52 calibre Howitzer guns. The request for proposals for buying about 500 Howitzers was recently floated by India. After recent setbacks, the Germans have tasted success with European giant EADs on the verge of bagging a 700 million -dollar contract for supplying 197 light helicopters to the Indian Army. Germany is one of the major share-holders in the European consortium. |
| Posted by:John Frum |