India, Brazil sign naval pact strengthening BRICS defense cooperation |
India has taken another step toward strengthening defense cooperation within the BRICS framework by announcing a new naval collaboration agreement with Brazil, underscoring New Delhi’s growing focus on maritime power, technological self-reliance, and strategic partnerships beyond its immediate neighborhood. The agreement, centered on the maintenance and life-cycle support of Scorpene-class submarines and other naval platforms, highlights the increasing convergence of interests between the two South Asian and South American powers.
On December 8, the Indian Navy confirmed that India and Brazil had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at collaboration in maintaining Scorpene submarines, a class of diesel-electric attack submarines originally designed by France’s Naval Group. Both India and Brazil operate variants of the Scorpene platform, making technical cooperation both practical and strategically valuable. According to the Indian Navy, the pact also seeks to boost defense research and development, encourage technological innovation, and strengthen long-term sustainment of key naval assets.
“The MOU will enhance life-cycle support, enable experience sharing in maintenance, logistics and training, and strengthen cooperation between government agencies and industry of both nations,” the Indian Navy said in an official statement. This emphasis on sustainment and knowledge-sharing reflects a broader shift in Indian defense planning, where long-term operational readiness is increasingly seen as just as important as acquiring new platforms.
The agreement was signed between the Indian Navy, the Brazilian Navy, and Mazagon Dockyard Limited (MDL), one of India’s leading state-owned shipbuilders. MDL played a central role in........