India, Spain to strengthen defence cooperation

NEW DELHI: Seeking to expand their defence cooperation, India and Spain today signed an MoU under which they will encourage collaboration between their defence industry and exchange of personnel.

The MoU was signed by Defence Minister A K Antony and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Morenés Eulate here, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

As per the MoU, the two sides have agreed to facilitate defence cooperation by exchanging defence related experience, information, encouraging visits of personnel, collaboration in defence industry and other similar areas of cooperation, it said.

Spain has been trying to sell a number of major weapon systems to India and was also one of the four partner countries offering the Eurofighter combat aircraft to India for its tender for 126 fighter jets.

Spanish firm Navantia is also planning to offer its S-80 diesel electric submarine for Indian Navy's Project 75-India under which it plans to procure six large conventional submarines at the expected cost of more than Rs 50,000 crore.

Its defence firms such as INDRA are also doing business with Indian armed forces in areas of radar and communication.