Sat Feb 15 16:04:26 UTC 2025: ## US and India Forge New Alliance to Boost Underwater Surveillance

**New Delhi, February 15, 2025** – India and the United States have launched a new initiative, the Autonomous Systems Industry Alliance (ASIA), to significantly expand their cooperation in underwater domain awareness (UDA). The announcement, made during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Washington, aims to increase industry partnerships and production in the Indo-Pacific region.

The alliance focuses on co-production of several key UDA technologies in India. The US has offered unprecedented access to sensitive technologies, making India the first country to receive such collaborative opportunities. These include autonomous surveillance systems, unmanned surface vehicles, advanced sonar technologies, and autonomous underwater vehicles from companies like Thayer Mahan, Liquid Robotics (Boeing), L3 Harris, Andruil, and Ocean Aero.

Specific collaborations are underway, with negotiations between Boeing’s Liquid Robotics and Sagar Defence Engineering for co-producing 60 Wave Glider platforms in India, and discussions between L3 Harris and Bharat Electronics Limited for co-developing low-frequency active towed sonar. A previously announced partnership between Ultra Maritime and Bharat Dynamics Limited will see the co-production of MSA sonobuoys in India, with final assembly slated for completion by 2027.

The expanded cooperation extends beyond UDA. The joint statement following Modi and President Trump’s talks pledged to accelerate defense technology collaboration across various domains, including a US policy review on providing India with fifth-generation fighters and undersea systems. Furthermore, the two nations committed to enhance military cooperation through training, exercises, and operations, along with improved logistics and intelligence sharing.

The Quad (India, Australia, Japan, and the US) also saw a commitment to new initiatives on shared airlift capacity and maritime patrols, furthering interoperability among member nations. This collaboration, along with India’s existing procurement of US anti-submarine warfare platforms (including P-8I aircraft, MH-60R helicopters, and MQ-9B Sea Guardian UAVs), strengthens the combined capabilities in the Indian Ocean region. The move is seen as a significant counterbalance to the growing presence of the Chinese Navy.

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