US amends rules to share India missile tech for space
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Monday met his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval and informed him that "missile export control policies have been amended to facilitate cooperation with India in outer space". These polices are under the international Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) of which India is a member.
Sullivan, who was in New Delhi and accompanied by a delegation of senior US government officials, met Doval to review the progress of the India-US Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET).
Paving way for N-cooperation
The US is finalising necessary steps to remove long-standing regulations that have prevented civil nuclear cooperation between leading Indian and American companies.
-- Jake Sullivan, US NSA
Launched in July 2023, the iCET mentions space as one of domains of mutual cooperation. India and the US look to expand their joint space exploration programme to include the domain of ‘national security’ that can enable the two sides in tackling possible common threats around the world.
Last month, White House Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer said “we are also increasingly working together to build a cooperative partnership in space”.
Will help launch heavier payloads
The change in US missile export policy will benefit private commercial activities in exploration of space. India is a signatory to MTCR, which regulates export of missile technology and related items. Similar technology is used for weapon-carrying missiles that travel in excess of 10,000 km, hence the curbs. For space exploration, MTCR membership allows access advanced technologies, such as cryogenic engines, which are essential for launching heavier payloads into space.
India in June last year signed the Artemis Accords, which is based on the Outer Space Treaty of 1967. The accords are a set of non-binding principles to guide sustainable civil space exploration.
‘Axiom-4’, a ‘human space flight’ mission with Indian astronauts at the International Space Station, is planned in the spring of 2025. The two sides also reviewed the progress on the planned launch of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) in early 2025.
The two NSAs have engaged regularly in a high-level dialogue through extensive discussions on a broad bilateral, regional and global agenda. Following the launch of the iCET by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the Quad Summit in Tokyo in May 2022.
Initiatives between the two countries are across a range of areas, including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, semiconductors, telecommunications, defence and space.
The Ministry of External Affairs said: “The current visit gave them the opportunity to review ongoing progress in their high-level dialogue, including in diverse fields such as defence, cyber and maritime security."
Sullivan also called on Modi, who posted on X, saying “the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership has scaled new heights, including in the areas of technology, defence, space, biotechnology and artificial intelligence. Look forward to building upon this momentum in ties between our two democracies for the benefit of our people and global good”.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also met Sullivan. He posted on X: “Continued our ongoing discussions on deepening bilateral, regional and global cooperation. Valued the openness of our conversations in the last four years”.
