First Indo-US triservice exercise held

Tiger Triumph, the first-ever US-India tri-service exercise, concluded November 21. It signals a deepening of security ties between the two countries.

With an eye on China, the United States under President Donald Trump has been stressing on a “free and open” Indo Pacific region, as articulated by US Defence Secretary Mark Esper in his talks with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

This is the first joint exercise which includes all three military arms; army, navy and air force; and while the focus was on humanitarian aid and disaster relief it also included search and seizure training.

The 2017 National Security Strategy said the US welcomes “India’s emergence as a leading global power and stronger strategic and defence partner.” It declared that the US “will expand our defence and security partnership with India.”

Noting the importance both countries place on engagement with Southeast Asia, Esper highlighted opportunities to increase US-India collaboration across the region and reinforce our commitment to a rules-based security architecture with ASEAN at its core. India and the US have been termed natural partners and defence and economic cooperation have been the hallmarks of a growing relationship between the two countries.

Coinciding with the conclusion of Tiger Triumph drill, the US has approved over USD1 billion worth sale to India of 13 modern naval artillery guns and related equipment for use against warships and to support amphibious operations.

US arms sales to India are touching the highest ever mark. This year, the Indian Air Force received its first tranche of US-made Apache attack helicopters. This acquisition paves the way for a number of bilateral attack aviation training opportunities.