Ties between India and the United States – the world’s two largest democracies – including military ties, are growing stronger, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said today.
Austin met Indian External Affairs Minister Subramanyam Jaishankar at the Pentagon. Earlier, Austin spoke by phone with Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh.
“These conversations reinforce the growing depth, breadth and ambition of our partnership,” Austin said. “And that partnership is getting stronger and stronger.”
Military cooperation between the two nations is at its highest level. The Indian and US militaries regularly train together, and the two governments regularly share information and intelligence, especially following the geospatial agreement signed between the two governments in 2020. India participates in the US international program of education and military training.
“Today we are positioning the US and Indian armies to operate and coordinate more closely than ever before,” Austin said. “We are taking important steps to deepen our defense cooperation, ranging from strengthening information sharing and defense industrial ties to cooperation in emerging defense areas, including the launch of a new dialogue later this year.”
The Indian army is becoming increasingly interoperable with its American partners. India has purchased Apache helicopters, Seahawk helicopters and expressed interest in other US defense capabilities.
“All of this will help ensure that our armies are ready to meet future challenges,” the secretary said.
The two nations work bilaterally, but also with other nations. “The United States and India, along with a dozen other Indo-Pacific partners, are pushing to expand our region’s prosperity through the Indo-Pacific Economic Dialogue,” Austin said. “And through our deep cooperation with Japan and Australia, we are taking action on the issues that matter most to the region: infrastructure development and maritime security.”
Regional security is particularly important at this time, given China’s growing warmongering, particularly toward Taiwan, the secretary said. “In recent months, we have seen the PRC intensify its efforts to challenge the rules-based international order,” he said.
Moreover, China continues to support Russia – a nation that is also seeking to overthrow the rules-based order – amid its unprovoked and cruel invasion of Ukraine, he said.
India and the United States face sustained challenges to global peace, security, and prosperity. These challenges “only reaffirm the importance of our partnership”, he said.
