India, U.S. will boost defense cooperation
NEW DELHI — Top defense officials from India and the United States pledged Saturday to expand their military engagement, underscoring the strengthening defense ties between two countries concerned over China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh met in New Delhi and agreed to deepen defense cooperation, intelligence sharing and logistics.
“India is an increasingly important partner in rapidly shifting international dynamics. I reaffirm our commitment to a comprehensive forward-looking defense partnership with India as a central pillar of our approach to the Indo-Pacific region,” Austin said.
Austin is making the first visit to India by a top member of President Joe Biden’s administration. His visit follows a meeting last week among leaders of Australia, India, Japan and the U.S., which make up the Indo-Pacific nations known as the Quad.
The Quad is seen as a counterweight to China, who critics say is flexing its military muscle in the South China Sea, East China Sea, Taiwan Strait and along its northern border with India.
China has called the Quad an attempt to contain its ambitions.
Austin’s Indian counterpart, Singh, said the talks were focused on “expanding military-to-military engagement.”
“We are determined to realize the full potential of comprehensive global strategic partnership,” Singh said.
Austin arrived in New Delhi on Friday and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.
According to a statement from the prime minister’s office, Modi “outlined his vision for the strategic partnership between the two countries and emphasized the important role of bilateral defense cooperation in India-U.S. ties.”
The U.S. and India have steadily ramped up their military relationship in recent years and signed a string of defense deals and deepened military cooperation. In 2019, the two sides concluded defense deals worth over $3 billion. Bilateral defense trade increased from near zero in 2008 to $15 billion in 2019.