It is in US interest to support India’s rise: Cong committee

Combined naval exercises will promote stability,security,free and open trade in Indo-Pacific.

Asserting that its in the US’ interest to support India’s rise through military-to-military ties,arms sales and exercises,a key Congressional committee has sought a report from Pentagon by November 1 on a five-year action plan to strengthen bilateral defence relations.

The powerful Senate Armed Services Committee said it believes that a deepening global strategic partnership between the US and India will be critical to the maintenance and expansion of a rules-based international system that promotes freedom,democracy,security,prosperity and the rule of law in the 21st century.

“It is in the national interest of the United States,through military-to-military relations,arms sales,bilateral and multilateral joint exercises and other means,to support India’s rise and build a strategic and military culture of cooperation and interoperability between our two countries,in particular with regard to the Indo-Pacific region,” said the India section of the committee’s latest 343-page report.

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The committee noted that combined naval exercises,conducted between the United States and India,have become a vital pillar of stability,security and free and open trade,in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.

“Recent US arms sales to India,including C-130J military transport aircraft,a US amphibious transport dock,UH-3H Sea King helicopters,counter-battery radar sets,and P-8 maritime surveillance aircraft,have benefited the United States and India alike,increasing commonality of military equipment platforms and contributing to security in the Indo-Pacific region,” the report said.

It also noted that India recently announced its intention to purchase 10 C-17 Globemaster III aircraft.

As such the Congressional report asked the administration to submit an unclassified report to it by November 1 this year which provides a plan to enhance US-India security cooperation,including a detailed assessment of the current state of US-India security cooperation.

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The Defence Secretary has also been asked to submit to the Congress a five-year plan for enhancing the US-India security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region and globally,which among other things should also include recommendations for the US to further improve and expand this relationship in four areas.

The areas are combined military exercises; defence trade and support for India’s military modernisation; cooperation in disaster response and relief,humanitarian assistance,counter-proliferation,counter-piracy,counter-terrorism,homeland security and coastal defense and the maintenance of secure sea lines of communication; and multilateral exercises and cooperation incorporating other Indo-Pacific allies and strategic partners.

The US Defence Secretary has also been asked to include in its report to the Congress a detailed assessment of the desirability and feasibility of the future sale of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters to India,and a potential US partnership with India to co-develop one or more military weapon systems,including but not limited to the anticipated programme to replace the US Air Force T-38 trainer jet.