NSA Doval meets US Defence Secy, reaffirms Indo-US ties in defence cooperation
James Mattis (left) greets Ajit K Doval in Washington
James Mattis (left) greets Ajit K Doval in Washington
Washington: Two top Senators have urged the Trump administration to push for the sale of F-16 fighter jets to India to build its capability to counter security threats and balance China's growing military power in the Pacific.
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Senators Mark Warner from Virginia and John Cornyn from Texas in a joint letter to US Defence Secretary James Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said, the Trump administration must make the fighter jet acquisition a priority during initial bilateral discussions with India.
Major prospect customer
India has launched an effort to expand its combat aircraft fleet and the competition has reportedly narrowed down to Lockheed's F-16 and Saab's Gripen. The two Senators said India remains the only major F-16 prospect customer.
"Given the strategic significance of India selecting a US aircraft as the mainstay for its future Air Force and the potential for a decision this year, we ask that the administration make the fighter acquisition a priority during initial bilateral discussions," Warner and Cornyn wrote.
India-US cooperation
The Trump regime is seeking to deepen its counter-terrorism cooperation with India and expand it further, sources here said after National Security Advisor Ajit K Doval's high profile meetings with James Mattis and other top US officials.
The common thread in the meeting was expansion and deepening of India-US cooperation in collectively addressing the challenge posed by terrorism in South Asia. Both leaders reaffirmed building upon the significant defence cooperation progress made in recent years.
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