Mike Pence says US will provide India with resources for defence, pushes for deeper economic ties

Washington: The US will help the Indian armed forces to obtain the resources and technology they need to support security in the region, Vice-President Mike Pence has said. “You need look no further than yesterday’s announcement that the United States will sell Sea Guardian UAVs , Apache attack helicopters, and C-17 transports to India,” he said. Pence said the process to approve the sale was underway and expressed hope that it would “accurately” reflect commitment to mutual security among both the nations and the importance of their partnership for security. [caption id=“attachment_3753439” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of US vice-president Mike Pence. AP[/caption] “A first-rate global power needs a first-rate military, and the United States will continue to enable the Indian armed forces to obtain the resources and technology it needs to protect the Indian people and support security in the region,” Pence told members of the US India Council in a keynote address. Pence said the US and India can deepen their ties in many industries and areas and asked India to enact the necessary economic reforms to ensure that the bilateral trade relationship is both “fair and reciprocal”. He said India and the US are strong partners in the fight against terrorism. “Like the United States, India is too familiar with the grave danger posed by radical Islamic terrorists,” he said on Tuesday. “These barbarians have struck on Indian soil too many times over the decades, including the horrific attacks in Mumbai nearly a decade ago, claiming the lives of more than 160 innocents, including six Americans,” Pence said. “The United States and India already collaborate to a significant extent. But in the face of terror networks that are ever-more sophisticated, ever-more dispersed, we will continue to take renewed action to facilitate two-way information and intelligence sharing to confront this threat,” he said.