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Fighter Jets, Drone Deals, Afghan Crisis to Feature in Talks as US Defence Secretary James Mattis Visits India
New Delhi, Sept 24: As United States Defence Secretary James Mattis visits India the coming week, the subjects to remain on top of discussion include a prospective fighter jets and drone deal between
New Delhi, Sept 24: As United States Defence Secretary James Mattis visits India the coming week, the subjects to remain on top of discussion include a prospective fighter jets and drone deal between India and US-based arms suppliers, along with the enhanced role to be played by Delhi in resolving the crisis in Afghanistan.
Highlights
- Mattis' visit comes 3 months after PM Modi met President Trump.
- Trump, after talks with Modi, had said he would boost military ties with India.
- US, in the past year, had designated India as a "major defence partner".
Mattis is scheduled to arrive in the national capital late on Monday. On the second-day of his visit, he would be holding talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and newly appointed Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
Ahead of his visit, the statement issued by Pentagon said the Defence Secretary would be “appreciating” the efforts taken by India towards reconstructing democracy in Afghanistan.
Delhi, over the past few years, has spent billions of dollars towards construction of roads and dams in the war-torn nation. In the past year, it also inaugurated the new Afghan Parliament building, which has been funded by Delhi. An aid of US$ 1 billion was also dispatched to Kabul by Modi regime last year.
“The United States views India as a valued and influential partner, with broad mutual interests extending well beyond South Asia,” the Pentagon statement said.
While presenting his strategy for South Asia region last month, President Trump said he is looking forward towards India’s “enhanced role” in reviving the Afghan economy. On the other hand, he lambasted Delhi’s arch-rival Pakistan, accusing it of harbouring the “same terrorists who are targeting US troops” in the region.
Apart from the Afghan crisis, Mattis’ visit is also intended, experts say, to persuade India towards entering into a deal with US’ arms manufacturer Lockheed Martin, for the supply of F-16 Block 70 aircraft. The deal is pegged at US$ 15 billion.
The Indian Defence Ministry, so far, has been weighing its options, as proposal requests have also been sent to Sweden’s Saab, Russia’s MiG, apart from Lockheed Martin and Boeing, another American arms supplier.
The government, as per reports, is looking to procure at least 100 single-engine fighters to counter the growing air threat posed by China and Pakistan.
According to analysts, the possibility looms over India inking the arms agreement with the US-based suppliers, especially amid the growing defence bonhomie between New Delhi and Washington. In 2016, US had designated India as a “Major Defence Partner”, which was followed by President Trump’s assertion that he “wants to boost military ties with India”, earlier this year.
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