German, Indian companies sign accord on possible India submarine project

By GEIR MOULSON
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — German and Indian companies have signed an agreement that envisions the possible building of six military submarines for India. The memorandum of understanding was signed on Wednesday in the presence of German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who was in India on a visit. The agreement calls for Germany’s Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems to engineer and design six non-nuclear submarines that would be built and delivered by India’s Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders with “significant local content.” Pistorius is the first German defense minister to visit India since 2015. He advocates easing defense cooperation and weapons deals with India by treating it as a strategic partner like Australia or Japan.