Latest Update: Jets, combat vehicles and more… What PM Modi could purchase from US….See More

After sealing strategic deals in France, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in the United States where he will meet with President Donald Trump. The meeting between the two will be the first since Trump’s dramatic return to the White House for a second term.

Modi has a bucket list of items to discuss with Trump — none as important as the tariffs that the US president has slapped on others. In fact, New Delhi has so far been spared any new tariffs, which comes as a relief for PM Modi and the country.

The issue of illegal Indian immigrants will also undoubtedly figure in talks between Donald Trump and PM Modi. But beyond these immediate concerns, the main focus of the meet will be in the area of defence. It is reported that PM Modi has a giant defence wishlist which he hopes to achieve at the end of his visit.

So, what’s on Modi’s defence acquisition list? Which weapons and armaments is India looking to buy from the US?

Stryker infantry vehicle deal
Topping PM Modi’s acquisitions are the Stryker infantry combat vehicles. India has expressed interest in co-producing these vehicles along with its main manufacture, General Dynamics. Last September-October, these combat vehicles had been demonstrated for the Indian Army.

For those who are unaware, the Stryker is a highly deployable-wheeled armoured vehicle that combines firepower, battlefield mobility, survivability and versatility, with reduced logistics requirements. The US Army states that there are 18 different variants of the Stryker — some built to move soldiers in and out of battle while others are designed to carry weapons.

They first saw combat in Iraq in 2003.

Sources told The Hindu that the plan is for India to procure a few hundred vehicles in two stages. Direct import of a small number of Strykers in the first stage and licence manufacture of a bulk of them, with some customisations, in India likely by defence public sector undertaking Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML).