U.S. President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a series of defense and commercial deals designed to improve military and economic ties between their nations during Thursday¡¯s state visit at the White House.

General Electric plans to jointly manufacture F414 engines with state-owned Indian firm Hindustan Aeronautics for the Tejas light-combat aircraft, as part of an effort to improve defense- and technology-sharing as China becomes more assertive in the Indo-Pacific.

Biden and Modi also announced new defense collaborations, including progress on an order for MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones made by General Atomics, and an agreement that will allow U.S. Navy ships to undertake major repairs at Indian shipyards.