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US may outsource lightweight satellite launches to India
New Delhi. India may launch lightweight US satellites if the two governments agree.
Lockheed Martin, the world's largest defence and aerospace corporation, held informational discussions with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and its export arm, Antrix recently and this was one of the points for possible cooperation.
Lockheed Martin's India Chief Executive Roger Rose told India Strategic that while it follows the US Government lead in space activities, it regularly holds discussions to learn more about individual companies and their capabilities.
Rose noted that India has a strong and growing space industry that has great potential for future cooperation. It was suggested that one area that could be explored is using Indian capabilities in low-cost launch, as ISRO has displayed a commendable track record in this regard. Other possibilities that could be examined include cooperation on manned space flights.
Lockheed Martin noted, however, that any cooperation beyond these kinds of informational discussions would be subject to an overall policy and agreement framework acceptable to both the Indian and United States governments and compatible with U.S. export control regulations.
Rose said that senior executives from Lockheed Martin had visited Bangalore in August during a space conference and held introductory discussions with ISRO and Antrix.
Commercially, it would be a win-win situation for both sides. And if cooperation between the two countries grew substantially, Indian companies could also become part of a global supply chain with Lockheed Martin, Rose said.
At present, ISRO is on the US "Entities List" due to which US companies cannot share hi-tech dual technology as defined by the Department of Commerce. New Delhi has already asked Washington to remove ISRO, as well as the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), from that blacklist, to make bilateral cooperation meaningful.
This entities list issue is likely to figure during US President Barack Obama's visit to India next month.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 136,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation's 2009 sales were $44.5 billion.
http://www.indiastrategic.in/image/lockheed_martin_satellite.gif
New Delhi. India may launch lightweight US satellites if the two governments agree.
Lockheed Martin, the world's largest defence and aerospace corporation, held informational discussions with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and its export arm, Antrix recently and this was one of the points for possible cooperation.
Lockheed Martin's India Chief Executive Roger Rose told India Strategic that while it follows the US Government lead in space activities, it regularly holds discussions to learn more about individual companies and their capabilities.
Rose noted that India has a strong and growing space industry that has great potential for future cooperation. It was suggested that one area that could be explored is using Indian capabilities in low-cost launch, as ISRO has displayed a commendable track record in this regard. Other possibilities that could be examined include cooperation on manned space flights.
Lockheed Martin noted, however, that any cooperation beyond these kinds of informational discussions would be subject to an overall policy and agreement framework acceptable to both the Indian and United States governments and compatible with U.S. export control regulations.
Rose said that senior executives from Lockheed Martin had visited Bangalore in August during a space conference and held introductory discussions with ISRO and Antrix.
Commercially, it would be a win-win situation for both sides. And if cooperation between the two countries grew substantially, Indian companies could also become part of a global supply chain with Lockheed Martin, Rose said.
At present, ISRO is on the US "Entities List" due to which US companies cannot share hi-tech dual technology as defined by the Department of Commerce. New Delhi has already asked Washington to remove ISRO, as well as the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), from that blacklist, to make bilateral cooperation meaningful.
This entities list issue is likely to figure during US President Barack Obama's visit to India next month.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 136,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation's 2009 sales were $44.5 billion.
http://www.indiastrategic.in/image/lockheed_martin_satellite.gif