US will continue to foster stronger defence partnership with India: Pentagon

The United States will continue to foster a stronger defence partnership with India, the Pentagon said on Friday. India and US ties have improved in the last few years. The defence trade between India and the US was almost negligible in 1997 but today it stands above USD 20 billion. “We very much appreciate our relationship with India on a defence level. We continue to foster a stronger defence partnership with India and that is something that I think you’ll continue to see us do going forward,” Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder told reporters at a news conference. India has also made several significant purchases from the US in recent years including MH-60R Seahawk helicopters ($2.8 billion), Apache helicopters ($796 million), and the Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasure ($189 million). Responding to a question, Ryder said China remains the “pacing challenge” for the Department of Defence. “We do appreciate the partnership that we have with India and other countries in the Indo-Pacific region when it comes to preserving individual nations’ sovereignty and abiding by the international rules-based order that has preserved peace and stability for many years,” he said. Cooperation on defence trade continues to expand as the countries have put into place the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA), the Communications, Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA), and the Industrial Security Agreement (ISA). Between 2015 and 2019, the US share in India’s total defence imports rose by 14 per cent. The United States in 2016 elevated India to the status of major defence partner – which puts New Delhi on par with Washington’s closest allies. Experts say the evolution of the relationship has been phenomenal With inputs from agencies.