The eighth meeting of the India-Russia working group on shipbuilding, aviation and land systems was held last month and discussed issues relating to offset arrangements in various armament deals contracted between the two countries. Indian negotiators expressed concern that Russia has so far declined to engage with the concept of offset even though Russian arms sales to India have amounted to more than $5bn over the past five years.
Predictably, India’s trades unions are threatening to frustrate the MoD’s decision to lift restraints on India’s private sector and allow private companies to compete for work with Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs).
Poland’s Economy Ministry has reported to the Council of Ministers that offset projects implemented in 2007 were worth $700m. Most of them were attributable to Lockheed Martin.
Lockheed Martin has awarded MAG Maintenance Technologies a broad-reaching purchasing agreement that covers global service and support of manufacturing equipment at major Lockheed locations around the world.