US plans to fortify defence ties with India to deter China: Pentagon

The Biden administration plans to advance its defence ties with India to enhance its ability to deter Chinese aggression and address gray zone coercion in areas such as disputed land borders, as per the US National Defense Strategy 2022 released on Thursday.

This newly released document which was released by the US Defence Department is an unclassified defence strategy that nests beneath President Biden's National Security Strategy, which was released earlier this month amid growing Chinese aggression.

This Congressionally-mandated strategy review sets the strategic direction of the Department to support US national security priorities and flows directly from President Biden's National Security Strategy.

"The Department will advance our Major Defence Partnership with India to enhance its ability to deter PCR (People's Republic of China) aggression and ensure free and open access to the Indian Ocean region," the document read.

It states that China presents the most consequential and systemic challenge, while Russia poses acute threats to vital US national interests abroad and to the homeland.

"The most comprehensive and serious challenge to US national security is the PRC's coercive and increasingly aggressive endeavour to refashion the Indo-Pacific region and the international system to suit its interests and authoritarian preferences," the document adds.

Regarding the Indo-Pacific Region, it says "The Department will also support Ally and partner efforts, in accordance with US policy and international law, to address acute forms of gray zone coercion from the PRC's campaigns to establish control over the East China Sea, Taiwan Strait, South China Sea, and disputed land borders such as with India."

The National Defence Strategy includes the Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) and the Missile Defence Review (MDR). The Nuclear Posture Review, which has outlined the course of action for the Pentagon, is a legislatively-mandated review that describes US nuclear strategy, policy, posture, and forces.

The Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) reaffirms that the keyrole of US nukes is to deter nuclear attacks on the country and its partners.The Missile Defence Review is a review conducted pursuant to the President and the Secretary of Defence guidance, while also addressing the legislative requirement to assess US missile defence policy and strategy.