India, UAE pledge stronger defence ties at 13th JDCC meet; ink MoU on maritime cooperation

New Delhi [India], July 31 (ANI): India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening defence ties during the 13th meeting of the India-UAE Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC), held at the Secretary level for the first time in the national capital on Wednesday.

According to a release by the Ministry of Defence, the meeting was co-chaired by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and the UAE's Under Secretary of Defence Lt General Ibrahim Nasser M Al Alawi, who is currently leading a high-level defence delegation on a two-day official visit to India.

Both sides expressed satisfaction over the steady progress in bilateral defence engagements and agreed to enhance cooperation in key areas such as military training, maritime security, joint manufacturing, and technology development.

In a significant development, India offered to provide customised training programs based on the specific requirements of the UAE Armed Forces, the release stated.

"Both sides agreed to elevate defence ties to match the growing momentum in areas such as trade, investment, and people-to-people relations. The two sides agreed to enhance military training cooperation and discussed their respective training requirements. India offered to provide customised training courses tailored to the UAE's needs. They also agreed to cooperate on maritime security through the sharing of information," the release read.

The two countries also agreed to expand cooperation in maritime security through real-time information sharing and coordinated responses to challenges such as piracy, search and rescue, and pollution control.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed between the Indian Coast Guard and the UAE National Guard to enhance cooperation in maritime safety, covering areas such as search and rescue, anti-piracy operations, and marine pollution response.

Highlighting industrial collaboration, the delegations discussed strengthening defence manufacturing ties. The ICOMM-CARACAL partnership for small arms production was cited as a model for future joint ventures, with both sides exploring possibilities for co-developing next-generation defence technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, as well as shipbuilding, platform maintenance, refits, and upgrades.

In the run-up to the JDCC, both nations conducted the 4th Army-to-Army, 9th Navy-to-Navy, and inaugural Air-to-Air Staff Talks from July 28 to 29, which focused on enhancing training, military exercises, and Subject Matter Expert Exchanges.

The UAE delegation is scheduled to meet Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth on July 31 and participate in the 2nd India-UAE Defence Industry Partnership Forum. The forum will be jointly inaugurated by Lt General Al Alawi and Secretary for Defence Production Sanjeev Kumar.

India and the UAE share a robust and growing defence relationship, underpinned by the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's landmark visit to the UAE in 2015. India's upcoming participation in the Dubai Air Show in November 2025 is set to further reinforce this momentum. (ANI)

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