US wants to be India's first choice in defence solutions: Pentagon official

The US is striving to become India's "first choice" in defence solutions, a top Pentagon official has said, noting that America's defence sales to the country has grown "exponentially" over the last 10 years, from nil to over $20 billion this year.

Promoting acquisition and sustainment initiatives with key international partners like India remains a top priority of mine, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Ellen M Lord said on Tuesday.

US Defence sales to India has grown exponentially over the last 10 years, and we're striving to become India's first choice in defense solutions, he said at the 'India Ideas Summit' organised by the US-India Business Council (US-IBC).

US-India defence cooperation has made great strides in the last two years.

"This cooperation has led to closer relationships across our two governments, and it has also increased stability in the Indo Pacific region, Lord said.

His remarks came hours after US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper highlighted the "increased" military cooperation with India and called it as "one of the most important defence relationships of the 21th century."

Meanwhile, in a fact sheet, the Political-Military Affairs Bureau State Department said that defence trade with India has increased from near zero in 2008 to over $20 billion in 2020.
 

These sales support thousands of jobs in both countries and help ensure the health of both countries' defence industrial bases.

Some of the recent and significant prior-defence sales include MH-60R Seahawk helicopters ($2.8 billion), Apache helicopters ($796 million), and the Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasure ($189 million).

India was the first non-treaty partner to be offered Missile Technology Control Regime Category-1 Unmanned Aerial System -- the Sea Guardian UAS manufactured by General Atomics, the State Department said, adding that it continues to support advocacy for the Lockheed Martin F-21 and Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet and F-15EX Eagle as part of India's future fighter aircraft acquisitions.

A potential selection of any of these platforms would enhance India's military capabilities, increase US-India military interoperability, and protect shared security interests in the Indo-Pacific region, the state department said.

Since 2015, the United States also authorised India over $3 billion in defence articles via the Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) processes, which licenses the export of the defence equipment, services, and related manufacturing technologies controlled under the 21 categories of the US Munitions List (USML).

The top DCS categories to India during this period were military electronics (USML category XI); fire control, laser, imaging, and guidance equipment (category XII); and aircraft and related articles.

In 2016, the US designated India as a Major Defense Partner. Commensurate with this designation, in 2018, India was elevated to Strategic Trade Authorisation tier 1 status, which allows India to receive license-free access to a wide range of military and dual-use technologies regulated by the Department of Commerce, the State Department said.