India, US in process of signing pact for next-gen soldier wear, says defence ministry

NEW DELHI: The government today said it is in the process of signing an agreement with the US to collaborate on the next-generation lightweight, protective clothing for soldiers.

The project, titled Next Generation Protection Ensemble (NGPE), is part of one of the four projects that were identified for joint development during President Barack Obama's visit to the country earlier this year.

"The objective of the agreement is to test analyse and compare Chemical Biological (CB) Protection Technologies to facilitate development of requirements for a wearable protective ensemble capability with the view towards cooperatively developing mutually identified technologies subject to a separate agreement," Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said in a written reply to Lok Sabha.

He said this agreement has good potential for mutual benefit and to promote and accelerate technology exchange.

It may lead to a separate agreement for cooperatively developing mutually identified technologies, Parrikar said.

Uniform Integrated Protection Ensemble - Increment 2 (UIPE I2), was announced as one of the four pathfinders under the Defence Trade and Technology Initiative (DTTI), which seeks to co-develop military equipment.