India & UK Defence Ties: India and the United Kingdom have taken a big step in their defense partnership by launching Defence Partnership-India (DP-I) at Aero India 2025. This event, which started on Monday, will last for five days.
Both countries signed important agreements to work together on advanced weapons. Thales and Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) signed a deal to provide Laser Beam Riding MANPADs (LBRM). This includes an initial delivery of High Velocity Missiles (STARStreak) and launchers this year. This deal is a major move for India and the UK in air defense cooperation.
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Thales and BDL also plan to work together on making Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMM). This partnership will help Indian industries become part of Thales’ global supply chain. It will also improve security, create jobs in both countries, and allow their armies to work together easily.
UK Defence Minister Lord Vernon Coaker officially launched DP-I and opened the UK-India Defence Partnership Pavilion at Aero India 2025. According to The New Indian Express, he said “Our Defence Partnership and the UK-India Defence Partnership Pavilion will help strengthen our cooperation further, supporting economic growth in both our countries and India’s Atmanirbhar ambition. This event showcases our collaboration in next-generation capability, and the massive potential the UK and India can unlock by working together.”
In another key development, MBDA UK and BDL are setting up an Advanced Short-Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM) assembly and testing unit in Hyderabad. This will improve India’s fighter jets and allow India to export these missiles worldwide.
On the naval front, India and the UK signed an agreement to create an Integrated Full Electric Propulsion (IFEP) system for India’s future Landing Platform Dock (LPD) ships. This project will help India build a strong and independent naval fleet.
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GE Vernova and BHEL are also working together to build India’s first Land-Based Testing Facility for maritime use. They aim to have the LPD in the water by 2030.
Lindy Cameron, the British High Commissioner to India, praised India’s efforts to strengthen its defense industry. She said, “India is taking significant steps in its journey to become Atmanirbhar in its defense capabilities. The UK is really looking forward to working with India as a partner of choice in supporting this ambition: collaborating on defense technologies lies at the heart of this. These are landmark agreements that support our economic growth and joint security.”
