Page 3 - Lloyd Austin

Lloyd Austin makes unannounced visit to Ukraine, to meet senior officials

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin made an unannounced visit to Kyiv on Monday in a high-profile push to keep money and weapons flowing to Ukraine even as US and international resources are stretched by the new global risks raised by the Israel-Hamas conflict. Austin, who traveled to Kyiv by train from Poland, is scheduled to meet with senior Ukrainian officials and publicly press Ukraine's urgent military needs as it enters another tough winter of fighting. This is Austin's second trip to Kyiv, but he's making it under far different circumstances. His first visit occurred in April 2022, just two months after Russia's large-scale invasion. At the time, Ukraine was riding a wave of global rage at Moscow's invasion, and Austin launched an international effort that now sees 50 countries meet monthly to coordinate on what weapons, training and other support could be pushed to Kyiv. But the conflict in Gaza could pull attention and resources from the Ukraine fight. The US has worked ...

2+2 dialogue to focus on deepening security cooperation: State department

The India-US 2+2 ministerial dialogue in New Delhi this week will focus on deepening security cooperation between the two countries, the State Department said Wednesday ahead of the crucial meeting of foreign and defense ministers from India and the United States. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar would host their American counterparts Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Tony Blinken on November 10. "India is a country that we have a deep partnership (with). He (Blinken) will be going for the 2+2 security dialogue with Secretary of Defense Austin, so I expect, of course, that deepening the security cooperation and partnership will be one of the many topics that are discussed," State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters at his daily news conference. "It was something that was obviously raised during Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi's state visit earlier this year, and I know the Secretary looks forward to .

Blinken and Austin to travel to India for 2 plus 2 ministerial dialogue

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin would be travelling to India for the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue with their Indian counterparts External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi this month, the State Department has said. In a statement issued on Wednesday, State Department Sokesperson Matthew Miller said that Blinken's trip to India comes at the end of a more than a week-long trip November 2 to November 10 beginning with Israel and Jordan, following which he would continue with his Indo-Pacific travels to Japan, S Korea and India. The exact dates of his trips to these countries have not been announced. In New Delhi, the US delegation will participate in the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue. The delegation will meet with Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar, Minister of Defense Rajnath Singh, and other senior Indian officials to discuss both bilateral and global concerns and developments in the Indo-Pacific, ..

US ready to respond if personnel become targets of Israel-Hamas war: Austin

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on Sunday said the United States expects the Israel-Hamas war to escalate through involvement by proxies of Iran and asserted that the Biden administration is prepared to respond if American personnel or armed forces become the target of any such hostilities. This is not what we want, not what we're looking for. We don't want escalation, Blinken said. "We don't want to see our forces or our personnel come under fire. But if that happens, we're ready for it. Austin, echoing Blinken, said what we're seeing is a prospect of a significant escalation of attacks on our troops and our people throughout the region. He said the US has the right to self-defence and we won't hesitate to take the appropriate action. The warning from the high-ranking US officials came as Israel's military response to a deadly October 7 attack by Hamas on civilians in communities in southern Israel entered its third week. Israeli warplanes str

US sending additional air defence systems to Middle East: Lloyd Austin

The US has decided to send a Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system as well as additional Patriot battalions to the Middle East to increase its force posture there following recent escalations by Iran and its proxy forces across the region, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said. These steps will bolster regional deterrence efforts, increase force protection for US forces in the region, and assist in the defence of Israel, he said. Following detailed discussions with President Joe Biden on recent escalations by Iran and its proxy forces across the Middle East Region, today I directed a series of additional steps to further strengthen the Department of Defence posture in the region, Austin said. The US is on alert for activity by Iran-backed groups amidst escalating tension in the Middle East amid the Israel-Hamas war. First, I redirected the movement of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group to the Central Command area of responsibility. This carrier strike group is in

In first call with Palestinian prez, Biden talks support for aid to Gaza

President Joe Biden on Saturday spoke with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urging the leaders to allow humanitarian aid to the region and affirmed his support for efforts to protect civilians. The weekend calls in Washington came as the US said it was moving up a second carrier strike group in support of Israel, while US Secretary of State Antony Blinken intensified diplomatic outreach across the Middle East and beyond to rally an international response to prevent the Israel-Hamas war from expanding. Blinken met with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan in Riyadh before stopping in the United Arab Emirates as he sought ways to help civilians trapped in between the fighting and to address the growing humanitarian crisis. He also called his Chinese counterpart as Palestinians struggled to flee from areas of Gaza targeted by the Israeli military before an expected land offensive. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin as wel

US defence secy tells Netanyahu 'we have your back' after attack by Hamas

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin told Israeli leaders that we have your back as he reaffirmed US support in the first week of their war against the militant Hamas group. He voiced little public criticism of their stunning demand that some 1 million civilians evacuate northern Gaza. Austin, the second high-level US official sent by President Joe Biden to visit Israel in two days, was seeing firsthand some of the weapons and security assistance that Washington rapidly delivered to Israel after it was attacked. He stressed that this is a time for resolve and not revenge, for purpose and not panic and for security and not surrender. The defence secretary's quick trip to Israel from Brussels, where he was attending a NATO defence ministers meeting, came a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in the region. Blinken is continuing the frantic Mideast diplomacy, seeking to avert an expanded regional conflict. The Israeli military directed Gaza City residents to evacuate for .

US defence secretary arrives in Tel Aviv to meet senior Israeli leaders

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived Friday in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv to meet with senior government leaders and see firsthand some of the US weapons and security assistance that Washington rapidly delivered to Israel in the first week of its war with the militant Hamas group. Austin is the second high-level US official to visit Israel in two days. His quick trip from Brussels, where he was attending a NATO defence ministers meeting, comes a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in the region on Thursday. Blinken is continuing the frantic Mideast diplomacy, seeking to avert an expanded regional conflict. Austin is expected to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, and the Israeli War Cabinet. His arrival comes as Israel's military directed hundreds of thousands of residents in Gaza City to evacuate for their own safety and protection, ahead of a feared Israeli ground offensive. Gaza's Hamas rulers responded by calling

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin arrives in India on two-day visit

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in India on Sunday on a two-day visit to explore ways to further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation, especially in areas of transfer of critical technologies for co-development of military hardware. Secretary Austin's trip comes over two weeks ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to Washington during which the two sides are expected to unveil initiatives to expand the India-US global strategic partnership. "I'm returning to India to meet with key leaders for discussions about strengthening our Major Defense Partnership. Together, we're advancing a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific," the US defence secretary tweeted shortly after landing in New Delhi. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Austin are set to discuss in their talks on Monday the General Electric's proposal to share technology with India for fighter jet engines and New Delhi's plan to procure 30 MQ-9B armed drones at a cost of over USD 3 billion fro

US Defence Secy Lloyd J Austin's visit to India to begin on Sunday

US Defence Secretary Lloyd J Austin is set to arrive in India on an official visit, on Sunday, starting the third leg of this four-nation tour

Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin to travel to India ahead of Modi's US visit

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will travel to New Delhi next week to meet his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh, the Pentagon has announced. The visit precedes Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official state visit to White House next month. Austin will visit New Delhi to meet with Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and other leaders as the United States and India continue to modernise the US-India Major Defense Partnership, the Pentagon said on Thursday, announcing the defense secretary's trip to Japan, Singapore, India and France next week. This visit provides an opportunity to accelerate new defense innovation and industrial cooperation initiatives and drive ongoing efforts to expand operational cooperation between the US and Indian militaries, the Pentagon said. Austin will begin his trip from Japan, as part of his seventh official visit to the Indo-Pacific region. In Tokyo, he plans to meet with Japanese Defense Minister Yasukasu Hamada and other senior leaders and also visit the U

$842 bn budget proposal for defence driven by competition with China: Lloyd

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J Austin III said that the $842 billion budget proposal for the fiscal year 2024 for the Defense Department is a strategy-driven budge

US, Russian military chiefs resume contact to discuss destruction of drone

Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said he spoke to his Russian counterpart on Wednesday about the destruction of a US drone over the Black Sea, which had brought the two countries closest to direct conflict since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine a year ago. It was the first call between Austin and Defence Secretary Sergei Shoigu since October. I just got off the phone with my Russian counterpart, Minister Shoigu, Austin said at a Pentagon press briefing. As I've said repeatedly, it's important that great powers be models of transparency and communication, and the United States will continue to fly and to operate wherever international law allows. The US military said it ditched the Air Force MQ-9 Reaper in the sea after a Russian fighter jet struck its propeller. Russia has denied that it caused the incident. The US has said it was working on declassifying surveillance footage from the drone that would show Tuesday's crash. That Austin and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu were talki

Keep Covid military vaccine mandate intact, says US defence chief Austin

Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said he wants to keep the military's COVID-19 vaccine mandate in place to protect the health of the troops, as Republican governors and lawmakers press to rescind it. This past week more than 20 Republican governors sent a letter to President Joe Biden asking that the administration remove the mandate, saying it has hurt the US National Guard's ability to recruit troops. Those troops are activated by governors to respond to natural disasters or unrest. Congress may consider legislation this coming week to end the mandate as a requirement to gather enough support to pass this years' defense budget, which is already two months late. Austin said he would not comment on pressure from the Hill. We lost a million people to this virus," Austin told reporters traveling with him Saturday. A million people died in the United States of America. We lost hundreds in DOD. So this mandate has kept people healthy. I'm the guy who ordered the military to require the

US faces pivotal years in countering China, says Pentagon chief Austin

The US is at a pivotal point with China and will need military strength to ensure that American values, not Beijing's, set global norms in the 21st century, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said Saturday. Austin's speech at the Reagan National Defence Forum capped a week in which the Pentagon was squarely focused on China's rise and what that might mean for America's position in the world. On Monday it released an annual China security report that warned Beijing would likely have 1,500 nuclear warheads by 2035, with no clarity on how China would seek to use them. On Friday in a dramatic nighttime rollout, Austin was on hand as the public got its first glimpse of the military's newest, highly classified nuclear stealth bomber, the B-21 Raider, which is being designed to best the quickly growing cyber, space and nuclear capabilities of Beijing. China is the only country with both the will and, increasingly, the power to reshape its region and the international order to suit its ...

US defence chief Austin says 'tyranny and turmoil' in Russian invasion

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned Saturday Russia's invasion of Ukraine offers a preview of a world where nuclear-armed countries could threaten other nations and said Beijing, like Moscow, seeks a world where might makes right. Austin made the remarks at the annual Halifax International Security Forum, which attracts defense and security officials from Western democracies. "Russia's invasion offers a preview of a possible world of tyranny and turmoil that none of us would want to live in. And it's an invitation to an increasingly insecure world haunted by the shadow of nuclear proliferation," Austin said in a speech. "Because Putin's fellow autocrats are watching. And they could well conclude that getting nuclear weapons would give them a hunting license of their own. And that could drive a dangerous spiral of nuclear proliferation." Austin dismissed Putin's claims that "modern Ukraine was entirely created by Russia," calling it a vision of "a world in which autocrats decid

US defence secretary Lloyd Austin blames Putin's war for Poland explosion

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Saturday the deadly missile explosion in Poland this week is a consequence of Russian President Vladimir Putin's war of choice against Ukraine, and said international stability and prosperity are at stake in the conflict. Austin made the remarks at the annual Halifax International Security Forum which attracts defense and security officials from Western democracies. The tragic and troubling explosion in Poland this week reminded the whole world of the recklessness of Putin's war of choice, Austin said. On Tuesday, two workers were killed when a projectile hit the grain-drying facility close to Poland's border with Ukraine. While the source of the missile is under investigation, NATO officials have said they suspect it was fired from a Ukrainian missile battery. Officials from Poland, NATO and the United States have blamed Russia for the deaths in any case, saying a Ukrainian missile would not have misfired had the country not been forced to

US Defence Secretary to host Pakistan Army chief for talks at Pentagon

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday will host Pakistan Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa at the Pentagon for talks amidst signs of enhanced military engagement between the two countries. Last week, Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was in the town meeting top officials of the Biden Administration, including Secretary of State Tony Blinken. Bajwa will be accorded an "enhanced honour cordon" at the riverside entrance of the Pentagon by Austin following which the two will be holding a meeting on bilateral and regional issues. America's engagement with Pakistan, in particular with its military, has increased in recent months. Last month, the US announced a USD450 million F-16 fighter jet sustenance package for Pakistan.

India, US express need to boost defence ties amid rising global challenges

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday agreed that the global situation this year has become more challenging, especially due to the challenges in the Indo-Pacific, and underscored the need to further strengthen the bilateral relationship, in particular the defence ties. The remarks came amidst China's increasingly intimidatory behaviour in the region. Jaishankar is here in the American Capital for bilateral consultations with several US Cabinet ministers, including his counterpart Secretary of State Antony Blinken. I do share with you that the global situation has become far more challenging this year (due to) a variety of reasons, the Indo-Pacific in particular," Jaishankar said in his opening remarks at the top of his meeting with Austin at the Pentagon here. "It's important that the stability, security and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific should be secured. That is best done amongst others by cooperation between two countries," he .

Rajnath conveys concerns to US over sustenance package for Pak's F-16 fleet

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday conveyed to US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin India's concerns over Washington's decision to provide sustenance package for Pakistan's F-16 fighter jet fleet. Singh apprised Austin about India's concerns on the issue during a telephonic conversation. "I conveyed India's concern at the recent US decision to provide sustenance package for Pakistan's F-16 fleet," the defence minister said on Twitter. The US has planned to provide Foreign Military Sales (FMS) worth USD 450 million for hardware, software and spares for the F-16 fighter fleet of Pakistan. "Had a warm and productive telephonic conversation with the US Secretary of Defence, Mr. Lloyd Austin. We discussed growing convergence of strategic interests and enhanced defence & security cooperation," Singh said. "We also discussed ways to strengthen technological and industrial collaboration and also explore cooperation in emerging and critical technologies," he said. Singh said he was