New Delhi - Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Argentina's Ministry of Defence have taken a significant step towards productive collaboration by signing a Letter of Intent (LoI) on Thursday. The LoI aims to facilitate the acquisition of Light and Medium Utility Helicopters for the Argentinian armed forces. The signing ceremony involved Argentinian Defence Minister Jorge Taiana and HAL's Chief Managing Director (CMD) C B Ananthakrishnan, along with other senior officers from both sides.

Expressing his enthusiasm for the collaboration, Argentinian Defence Minister Taiana emphasized that the day marked a crucial milestone in fostering a strong partnership with HAL. During the visit, the Argentinian delegation was briefed on various activities of HAL, and a presentation on HAL's endeavors was also delivered.

As part of their visit, the Argentinian Defence Minister and his team witnessed a flying display of various HAL products at HAL Airport. They also paid visits to the LCA and Helicopter Divisions, expressing keen interest in HAL's product offerings.

Earlier in his four-day visit to New Delhi, Taiana had a bilateral meeting with India's Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh. During the meeting, they announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two countries and a Specific Agreement on Academic Cooperation for peacekeeping. Taiana also extended an invitation to Minister Singh to attend the II Latin American Conference of United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (ALCONU), scheduled to take place in Argentina on September 12.

Taiana expressed his commitment to enhance and solidify the existing agreements between Argentina and India, looking forward to exploring new avenues of cooperation in the field of defense. He described the Memorandum of Understanding as being richer in content and practical possibilities than the current one in force, presenting an opportunity for a qualitative leap in bilateral cooperation.

The visit also included a tribute-paying ceremony by Taiana at the National War Memorial in the capital city, honoring the fallen heroes. Additionally, the Argentinian Defence Minister visited BrahMos Aerospace and engaged with leading think tanks in Delhi as part of his itinerary.