Seoul: – Indian Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Mukund Naravane is on a three-day visit to South Korea. Before this, General Naravane had visited Myanmar, Nepal, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. The South Korean visit of the Army Chief, after these, becomes significant. Confidence is being expressed that the defence cooperation between India and South Korea will become more comprehensive with this Army Chief’s visit. Before this, South Korean companies had expressed interest in cooperating with India in the defence manufacturing sector.
General Naravane will be holding talks with the South Korean Defence Minister and the Military Chief of that country. It is reported that General Naravane will also be visiting important military bases in the country and the South Korean Military Chief. Confidence is being expressed that this will provide an impetus to the defence-related cooperation between the two countries. In 2015, India and South Korea signed a unique strategic partnership agreement. Discussions are being held between India and South Korea regarding joint projects to manufacture weapons and defence equipment.
Both the countries are especially keen on cooperating in the warships and other ships necessary for the navy. K-9 Vajra T artillery gun has been developed jointly by Indian and South Korean companies. Indian Larsen and Toubro and South Korean HTW have jointly developed the artillery gun. This gun is being used in the Indian Army. Discussions regarding the development of a marine minesweeper also had been held between India and South Korea. Both countries had agreed to build a joint project for this purpose. But the project could not progress. It has been revealed that a South Korean defence equipment manufacturer is keen to supply an anti-aircraft missile system to India. All these transactions can gain momentum during the visit of Army Chief General Naravane. While China is trying to supersede India, by entering into the Indian influence sectors, India, under its ‘Act East’ policy is taking quick steps to consolidate cooperation with the countries in the East. The relations with South Korea, a financially strong country that is advanced even in the technology sector, have a special significance.
Last year, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had visited South Korea. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh appealed to the South Korean companies to take the initiative to take advantage of the opportunities available in the Indian defence sector. Signs are being seen that the next phase of defence cooperation will start with this visit of Army Chief General Naravane. Indications are that South Korea, under the pressure of Chinese economic and military might, has begun feeling a pressing need to develop cooperation with India in all the sectors.
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