New Delhi, Sept 24: The schedule for Indo-British special forces exercise will be chalked out during the talks the visiting British Chief of Defence Staff Sir Michael Walker will have with top Indian defence brass here today.
Boosting services-to-services exchanges and bilateral cooperation will also figure during the talks, a Defence Ministry spokesman said here yesterday.
After the US Special Forces, it is the world-famed British Special Air Service (SAS) which has now evinced keen interest in undertaking mountain and jungle warfare exercises with Indian Special Forces.
Walker will hold discussions with the all the three service chiefs Gen N C Vij, Air Chief Marshal S Krishnaswamy and Admiral Madhvendera Singh besides Defence Secretary Ajay Prasad.

He will also call on Defence Minister George Fernandes, the spokesman said. He said the two sides will also draw up schedule for Indo-British training exercises for the spring of 2004 and exchange of cadets and students of defence colleges and staff.



This is the first high-level visit here by a British Defence Officer after New Delhi announced its intention to buy 66 British Aerospace Hawks Advance Jet Trainer for the Indian Air Force at a cost of Rs 8,000 crores.


Bureau Report