Hoon for joint defence projects

India and Britain need to rejuvenate erstwhile co-production of Defence equipment, much like the relations that existed in the 1960-70s, sai...

India and Britain need to rejuvenate erstwhile co-production of Defence equipment, much like the relations that existed in the 1960-70s, said British Secretary for Defence, Geoff Hoon.

Hoon, who was in the Capital on a stopover en route Islamabad, will return to Delhi on Wednesday for a three-day official visit and emphasise on the need for greater co-production of Defence equipment. He said today that Britain supported India’s presence in a restructured UN.

‘‘My visit here is focused on developing a closer rapport with my Indian counterpart as well as formulating closer interaction with New Delhi on terrorism and reforms to the UN,’’ said Hoon, adding the two countries would build upon programmes of joint military training. He made no specific comments on whether selling the Eurofighter Typhoon combat jet to India was on his agenda, though South Block sources informed that it was a part of the plan.

Story continues below this ad

Apart from discussions with Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Defence Secretary Ajai Vikram Singh, Hoon will also hold meetings with the three service chiefs. The Iraq crisis, elections in Afghanistan and the Israel-Palestine conflict are also expected to be part of the discussions.

Hoon said the two countries would share military experiences and augment cooperation, including operational cooperation, between security forces and agencies against terrorism. ‘‘We will extend cooperation in the fight against terrorism to new forms of criminality including illegal immigration, money laundering and terrorist financing,’’ said Hoon.

Elaborating on boosting co-production in Defence equipment, the British official said this would include sharing know-how in development of new systems and at a later stage, even joint investments in joint production.