During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the U.S., he and President Donald Trump made important strides to improve defense relations between India and America. After meeting at the White House, the two leaders shared a plan to create a new defense partnership that will last for 10 years. This partnership will focus on making key weapons together and will include more military sales from the U.S. to India, like the advanced F-35 fighter jets.
During a press conference, Trump emphasized the growing friendship in defense, saying, “We will be selling many billions of dollars in military equipment to India starting this year.” He also mentioned that the U.S. is working to allow India to buy the F-35 jets, known to be among the best fighters in the world. However, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that discussions about acquiring the F-35 are still just ideas for now and no official steps have been taken yet.
Facing the challenge of China’s increasing military activities, Modi and Trump agreed to focus on buying new equipment and making Javelin anti-tank missiles and Stryker infantry vehicles in India this year. They want to work together to handle the growing security concerns in the region, especially in the Indo-Pacific area, by improving logistics and intelligence sharing for military actions.
They also plan to negotiate a Reciprocal Defense Procurement (RDP) agreement, which will make it easier to buy and supply defense equipment between both countries. India and the U.S. will speed up cooperation in important areas like space, air defense, and underwater technology. The U.S. has also agreed to review its rules on selling advanced fifth-generation fighter jets and underwater systems to India.
In his remarks, Modi highlighted the growing role of the U.S. in India’s defense plans, saying both countries are working as trusted partners towards joint development and technology sharing. He concluded by stating that new technology and equipment will strengthen India’s defense capabilities.
Leave a Reply