India and UAE Sign MoU to Boost Maritime and Defence Cooperation

India and the UAE reaffirmed their intent to increase defence cooperation even more during the 13th India-UAE Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC) session held at the Secretary level for the first time in New Delhi.

The conference was co-chaired by Defence Secretary of India Rajesh Kumar Singh and UAE's Under Secretary of Defence Lt General Ibrahim Nasser M Al Alawi, who is heading a high-level delegation on a two-day official visit.

Both nations were content with the developments in bilateral defence cooperation and agreed to facilitate greater cooperation on military training, maritime security, joint manufacturing, and the development of advanced technology. India also proposed offering tailored training courses commensurate with the UAE Armed Forces' specific needs.

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One of the highlights of the meeting was that the UAE National Guard and the Indian Coast Guard agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to improve maritime security. The MoU has provisions for cooperation in search and rescue efforts, anti-piracy operations, and response to marine pollution.

Negotiations also revolved around defence industry cooperation, with the ICOMM-CARACAL collaboration on small arms production named as a success story. The two nations are also examining collaborative development of new defence technologies such as artificial intelligence, shipbuilding, and platform refurbishment.

Before JDCC, there were staff-level talks between the three services on both sides with a focus on training and exchange of specialists. The UAE delegation also takes part in the 2nd India-UAE Defence Industry Partnership Forum, further cementing once again the strategic defence cooperation firmed up through the 2015 Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.