New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is heading to the US next week from August 23–27. This comes at a time when India’s most ambitious indigenous programme, manufacturing of the TEJAS fighter jet, has been held up due to delays in contracted supplies of engines by a US firm.

Meanwhile, addressing a media briefing, the US Department of Defence Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said, “We are looking forward to the visit (of Rajnath Singh)”. Stressing the relationship with India, she said, “It’s one of great importance to the Indo-Pacific as well. We still have great military relationship between our two countries,” she added.

Rajnath’s visit to the US will be the first by an Indian cabinet minister since Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Moscow (July 8-9) which became a diplomatic ‘irritant’ to the US and its allies questioning the timing of the visit. They had asked India to use its relationship with Moscow to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Rajnath will meet his counterpart, Lloyd Austin and is expected to take up the issue of delayed engine supplies and push for several hi-tech items.

The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which awaits the supplies of the engines of the F 404 series — from the General Electric, has flagged the matter to the Ministry of Defence (MoD). HAL is a public sector company with the MoD holding the majority stake. At present, the lack of engines is hampering deliveries of the 83 TEJAS MK-1A jets ordered by MoD from HAL in February 2021 under a ₹48,000 crore order. Deliveries were to commence by March this year.

Apart from the engines, among other things, India and US are looking at cutting-edge military technology.

3rd Round of India-Japan 2+2 Meet On August 20

The third round of India-Japan 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministers’ meeting will be held in New Delhi on August 20, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Friday.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will represent the Indian side and hold meeting with Japanese Defence Minister Minorou Kihara and Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa.

(With Inputs From Agencies)