An Artificial Intelligence-based Multi-domain Situational Awareness device, produced by General Atomics (it famously makes the MQ-9 drones) and 114ai for “all domain command and control,” were part of the discussions.

New-age weapons, including sensors, were on the agenda when Ajit Doval, the national security adviser, and his American counterpart, Jake Sullivan, met in New Delhi on Monday.

An Artificial Intelligence-based Multi-domain Situational Awareness device, produced by General Atomics (it famously makes the MQ-9 drones) and 114ai for “all domain command and control,” were part of the discussions.

So were plans to jointly develop space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance devices. A new agreement will also work towards better access to testing and certification facilities.

As reported by Moneycontrol earlier this month, the joint production of the GE-414 engines in India for the Indian Air Force’s fighters of the future, the co-production of the Stryker armoured vehicle, also in India, and the early transfer of the 31 MQ-9 drones (15 to the Navy and eight each to the Indian Army and Indian Air Force) came up.

Defence cooperation in the space sector was also necessary, both sides felt.

An Indo-US space table-top exercise, part of the Advanced Domains Defence Dialogue was held last month.

More discussions involving AI are planned.

Indian observers will be present at the US Space Command’s Global Sentinel Exercise at the Vandenberg Space Force base next February.

A partnership between the US Space Force and 114ai and 3rdiTech, both Indian start-ups for better space situational awareness, data fusion technologies and infra-red sensor semiconductor manufacturing is also on the anvil.

(With Inputs From Agencies)