India seals ₹7,995 crore deal with the U.S. for Navy’s MH-60R helicopter fleet support

NEW DELHI, Nov 29: India has sealed a ₹7,995-crore deal with the U.S. as part of “follow on support” package for Indian Navy's fleet of 24 Seahawk helicopters for five years.

The signing of the contract came amid strain in ties between the two countries after U.S. President Donald Trump slapped a whopping 50% tariffs on Indian goods in late August.

The Defence Ministry said it signed Letters of Offer and Acceptance (LOAs) with the U.S. for sustained support of the MH-60R helicopter fleet through follow-on support and supply for five years at an approximate value of ₹7,995 crore.

MH-60R, manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corporation, is an all-weather helicopter designed to support multiple missions with state of the art avionics and sensors.

The LOAs were inked under the foreign military sales programme of the U.S.

India had signed an agreement with the U.S. for procurement of 24 MH-60Rs in February 2020. The MH-60R Seahawk is a maritime variant of the Blackhawk helicopter.

The sustainment support is a comprehensive package which includes provisioning of spares, support equipment, product support, training and technical support, repair and replenishment of components, according to the Ministry.

It also provides for setting up of intermediate-level component repairs and periodic maintenance inspection facilities in India for the choppers.

“In-country development of these facilities will ensure capability build-up in the long run and reduced dependence on the U.S. government, thus aligning with the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat,” the Ministry said.

“This would further lead to indigenous product and services development through MSMEs (Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) and other Indian firms,” it said in a statement.

The Defence Ministry said sustainment support would significantly enhance the operational availability and maintainability of the MH-60R helicopters, which also have anti-submarine warfare capability.

“In addition, the support would enable the operation of these helicopters from dispersed locations as well as ships, ensuring optimal performance during all their primary and secondary missions,” it said.

The first three MH-60R helicopters were delivered to India in 2021.

Tejas jet crashes during demonstration at Dubai Air Show

DUBAI, Nov 21: Indian Air Force Tejas fighter jet crashed during a demonstration at Dubai Air Show. The pilot died in the crashed The jet crashed at around 2:10 pm local time.

A black smoke was reportedly seen over Al Maktoum International Airport where the air show had been taking place.

The Indian Air Force had announced its participation in the Air Show with the Suryakiran Aerobatic Team and LCA Tejas. The jets landed at Al Maktoum Airbase last week.

“The global event, with participation from over 100 Air Forces, aims to enhance interoperability, operational edge, and foster military as well as business cooperation,” the IAF had said in a tweet.

This is the second crash ever involving a Tejas aircraft, the first one being in 2024 near Jaisalmer.

A biennial Dubai Air Show is currently underway, taking place in the 40th anniversary year of host carrier Emirates.

The show became a stage for the arms industry and aerospace companies, and major aircraft orders by both the long-haul carrier Emirates and its lower-cost sister airline FlyDubai, were seen.

Industry professionals from 150 countries had arrived in Dubai for the grand air show, and leading aerospace firms like ombardier, Dassault Aviation, Embraer, Thales, Airbus, Lockheed Martin, and Calidus took part.

The Dubai Air Show began on November 17 and was scheduled to conclude on Friday, November 21, the day the Tejas jet crashed.

The only time a Tejas jet crashed before was in March 2024, when one of the aircrafts crashed near Jaisalmer in Rajasthan during an operational training sortie.

Indo-Pacific should remain free from any form of coercion: Rajnath

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 2 India's emphasis on rule of law and freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific is not against any country, but to safeguard interests of all stakeholders, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Saturday amid mounting global concerns over China's aggressive military posturing in the region.

In an address at a conclave of Defence Ministers of ASEAN member-states and the bloc's dialogue partners in Kuala Lumpur, Singh said India believed that the Indo-Pacific should remain open, inclusive, and free from any form of "coercion".

He also pitched for an approach of "collective security" to ensure sovereignty of every nation in the region.

"India's emphasis on the rule of law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and its advocacy for freedom of navigation and overflight in the Indo-Pacific, are not directed against any country but are meant to safeguard the collective interests of all regional stakeholders," he said.

His remarks came amid consistent demands by several ASEAN member-states as well as democratic nations for adherence to UNCLOS in the face of Beijing's increasing military muscle flexing in the contested South China Sea.

In his speech at the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) conclave, Singh said India's strategic engagement with ASEAN was not transactional but long-term and principle-driven, and it rests on a shared belief that the region should remain open, inclusive, and free from "coercion".

"The security of the future will not depend solely on military capabilities, but on the management of shared resources, the security of digital and physical infrastructure, and a collective response to humanitarian crises," he said.

Singh said the ADMM-Plus could be that bridge to connect strategic dialogue to practical outcomes and take the region forward towards peace and shared prosperity.

The ADMM-Plus is a platform comprising 11-nation ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and its eight dialogue partners — India, China, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States.

"Let us all together reaffirm our commitment to safeguarding and strengthening the ASEAN-led, inclusive regional security architecture, which has served our region so admirably," Singh said.

He said India was ready to enhance cooperation in all areas of mutual interests, promote dialogue, and ensure peace and stability through robust regional mechanisms.

"The experience of the past 15 years teaches us some thing in a clear manner, namely that inclusive cooperation is effective; regional ownership brings legitimacy, and collective security strengthens everyone's individual sovereignty," he said.

"In the coming years, these same principles will continue to guide India's approach towards ADMM-Plus and ASEAN," he added.

Singh said India was ready to continue making constructive contributions in this endeavour in the spirit of its vision MAHASAGAR or Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth across Regions.

"The evolution of ADMM-Plus reflects the changing security realities of our region. Now this platform is also active in new areas such as cyber threats, maritime domain awareness, and critical infrastructure protection," he said.

"This platform has proven that non-traditional security cooperation can be an effective medium for building trust between nations." The Defence Minister said the ADMM-Plus for India was an integral part of its 'Act East Policy' and broader Indo-Pacific vision.

The ADMM-Plus is a key platform under the overarching framework of ASEAN.

India became the dialogue partner of ASEAN in 1992 and the inaugural ADMM-Plus was convened in Hanoi in October 2010.

"India has always emphasised the need to integrate climate resilience into defence cooperation. The relationship between environmental stress, resource scarcity, and conflict makes this subject an essential component of the regional security agenda," he said.

Singh said India's Indo-Pacific security vision links defence cooperation with economic development, technology sharing, and human resource advancement.

"This strong connection between the interlinkages of security, growth, and sustainability is the true spirit of the partnership between India and ASEAN," he said.

Singh said the emphasis placed on "inclusivity and sustainability" under Malaysia's chairmanship of ASEAN was both timely and highly relevant.

"In the context of security, inclusivity means that all countries, regardless of their size or capacity, become equal partners in building the regional order and benefit from it," he said.

"Sustainability means creating such security architectures that are resilient to shocks, can adapt to new challenges, and are based on long-term cooperation rather than short-term alignment," he said.

Singh also held separate bilateral meetings with his Singaporean counterpart Chan Chun Sing, New Zealand's Defence Minister Judith Collins and Vietnam's Phan Van Giang and South Korea's Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back.