India and the UK have signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) to cooperate on the design and development of electric propulsion systems for the Indian Navy. The signing of the SoI took place at Portsmouth, UK, during the third joint working group meeting of the Electric Propulsion Capability Partnership .
This partnership marks a significant milestone in the cooperation between India and the UK in the field of defence technology. The SoI aims to promote the co-design, co-creation, and co-production of electric propulsion capability for future naval ships, including the Landing Platform Docks (LPDs) that are planned to be built at an Indian shipyard .
The Indian Navy has been actively pursuing the development of electric propulsion systems for its warships, and this partnership with the UK is expected to provide a significant boost to this effort. The use of electric propulsion systems is expected to improve the efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of the Navy’s warships.
The SoI was signed by Joint Secretary (Naval Systems) Rajeev Prakash from the Indian side, and Director of Ships Operations and Capability Integration in the UK’s defence ministry Rear Admiral Steve McCarthy from the UK side .
This partnership is also expected to promote indigenous development of niche technologies in India, and to strengthen the country’s defence industrial base. The cooperation between India and the UK in the field of defence technology is expected to continue to grow in the coming years, with a focus on promoting mutual interests and strengthening bilateral relations.
