2 US Senators call for strong Indo-US defence ties

Two influential American Senators in a letter to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel have called for strong Indo-US defence ties, as India reportedly gears up to spend over USD 100 billion in the next decade to modernise its military.
"As the planned pivot to the Asia-Pacific region is implemented, the significance of the US-India defense relationship cannot be understated," Senators John Cornyn and Mark Warner wrote in a letter to Hagel this week ahead of his trip to Asia.
In their letter dated March 25, Republican Cornyn and Democratic Warner, who are co-chairs of the powerful Senate India Caucus, said they support the recent Pentagon move to build strong defense ties with the largest democracy in the world which was started by the previous Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter.

"We hope you carry on that essential initiative and assign the incoming Deputy Secretary or a comparable level official to lead this very important initiative," they wrote in the letter, a copy of which was provided to PTI.
Welcoming the recent initiatives by both Washington and New Delhi which were reflected in the joint statement issued by the two countries after the September White House meeting between US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the two Senators said critical barriers to India-US defense ties remain.
"India continues to have heightened expectations for technology transfer and India offset requirements have slowed defense trade. Because much of the Indian offset market is saturated, American defense firms increasingly find it difficult to locate areas in which to invest," they said.

"We believe this is a significant hurdle and have asked our Indian colleagues to incorporate a two-tiered system where offset funds that cannot be spent on traditional defense industries can flow to a second tier of other Indian priorities, such as educational or skill development, including community colleges and other vocational training in areas that India has identified as a priority," the Senators wrote in their letter.

Warner and Cornyn said India-US defense relations have grown into a real partnership and were a centerpiece if their bilateral ties.
Defense trade has been a particular bright spot, as US sales of military equipment to India have grown from zero in 2008 to around USD 9 billion today, with billions more expected in years to come.

"Reports indicate that India plans to spend over USD 100 billion in the next decade to upgrade its mostly Soviet-era military hardware, which creates substantial opportunities for US companies to play a role in India's defense modernisation effort," the Senators wrote.