US offers top of the shelf weapon systems to India

Lalit K Jha
Washington, Jul 2 (PTI) The US Friday offered India top
of the shelf and top of the line defence weapon systems and
said three agreements were being negotiated which would allow
the country to share key American technologies.
"Pentagon is working with India to put three foundational
agreements in place with New Delhi that would allow American
frontline technologies to be shared with the country," a top
Pentagon official Michele Flournoy said.
"The cooperation with India is most developed in the
maritime domain. But we are interested in talking about other
areas as well. When you look at space, India has a lot to
bring to the table, in terms of its own space technology and
industry," she said.
Flournoy said the US is committed to providing India with
top of the shelf or top of the line technology.
The Pentagon official said Defence Secretary Robert Gates
had made export control reforms a key priority. "We see
streamlining and modernising of export control system as a
national security priority and one that directly affects our
ability to build and sustain these key partnerships".
Flournoy, under secretary of defence for policy said US
would continue to work with India on countering the spread of
WMD, maritime cooperation and identifying new technologies to
combat the threat.
She strongly made a pitch that India should opt for
American fighter jets as it would pave the way for "more
effective protection of mutual security interest in the
future".
Advocating "US solutions for India's defence needs", the
top Pentagon official said an overwhelming majority of arms
licenses requested last year had been approved.
She said, India should opt for American fighter jets as
it would pave the way for "more effective protection of mutual
security interest in the future".
The American pitch for India opting for US system comes
as New Delhi is in final stages of deciding on the mega USD 10
billion deal to purchase 126 fighter aircrafts.
American aviation majors Boeing with its F-18 super
hornet and Lockheed Martin with its F-16 fighting Falcons are
among the major bidders.
The Pentagon official who was speaking at a seminar
'Investing in the Future of US-India Defence relations', at
the Washington Chapter of Asia Society said US arms sale to
India were showing an upward graph and identified recent
purchase by New Delhi of C-130J Hercules Transport Aircraft,
just rolled out P-81 Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft and the
proposed sale of heavy-lift C-17 Aircraft. (MORE) PTI LKJ
MRD


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