Tue Jan 07 07:32:14 UTC 2025: ## India and US Partner to Produce Sonobuoys for Enhanced Undersea Surveillance
**New Delhi, January 7, 2025** – India and the United States have announced a significant partnership to co-produce advanced sonobuoys, bolstering India’s undersea domain awareness (UDA) capabilities. This collaboration, a first-of-its-kind, involves Ultra Maritime (UM), a US leader in undersea warfare technology, and Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), an Indian defense company. The joint venture will see the manufacture of sonobuoys – devices used to detect submarines – meeting US Navy standards and adhering to India’s “Make in India” initiative.
The announcement, made following a meeting between US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval, underscores growing cooperation between the two nations amid concerns over China’s expanding naval presence in the Indian Ocean Region. The partnership aligns with the US-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (ICET), launched in 2022.
The co-produced sonobuoys will be interoperable with equipment used by the US, Indian, and allied navies, including P-8, MH-60R, and MQ-9B aircraft. This interoperability is crucial, given India’s recent acquisitions of US military platforms, strengthening cooperation within the Quad grouping (India, US, Japan, and Australia).
The initiative builds on previous collaborations aimed at enhancing UDA, a key focus area for India and the Quad. This includes a September 2024 partnership for the co-development of uncrewed surface vehicles for UDA.
The increased focus on UDA reflects growing concerns about the security of the Indian Ocean Region. As stated by former Indian Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane, enhanced collaboration in UDA is essential to ensure regional stability and security. The co-production of sonobuoys represents a substantial step toward achieving this goal, significantly improving India’s ability to monitor undersea activity in its strategic waters.
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