NEW DELHI: US Secretary of State- John Kerry has hinted that as part of a deepening cooperation on defence, the United States defence secretary Charles Chuck Hagel during his three-day visit to India next week, could make an offer to create institutionalised links between the military intelligence of both countries and is willing to share classified information on the region, including Afghanistan-Pakistan and China.
While the full scope of the offer will be made by the US defence secretary, John Kerry made the suggestion beforehand to Indias defence minister- Arun Jaitley, during their meeting last Thursday, 31 July, reports Shishir Gupta for Hindustan Times.
Hagel is scheduled to reach New Delhi on 7 August evening and leave on 9 August after meeting Jaitley, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, national security advisor Ajit Doval and Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, who is the chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. He is also expected to meet Indias Minister for External Affairs- Sushma Swaraj. Speaking about the visit, Pentagon Press Secretary- Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said on Aug 1, Hagel would be embarking on an around-the-world trip next week focused on protecting U.S. interests but with a special emphasis on the Asia-Pacific. His first stop will be to U.S. European Command in Stuttgart, Germany. From there, he proceeds on to New Delhi where he will hold bilateral meetings with Indian leaders including Defence Minister Arun Jaitley and will deliver a speech at the Observer Research Foundation.
The installation of the new Indian government offers an opportunity to fulfil the potential of our strategic partnership, Kirby said. Secretary Hagels meetings will focus on the United States and Indias converging interests in the Asia-Pacific.
Hagels visit to India will be another step in U.S. efforts to prepare for newly elected Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to the White House next month following the visit of Secretary of State John F. Kerry. While there, Kirby said Hagel will discuss the situation in Afghanistan with Indian officials as well as ways to strengthen U.S.-Indian defence cooperation, including military exercises, defence, trade, co-production and co-development, and research and new technologies.
HT reports that US diplomatic sources said Hagel will aim to take defence cooperation beyond military hardware sales and transfer of technology under the so-called Defence Technology Initiative (DTI) to joint manufacturing of weapon systems in India under the 49% FDI route announced by Jaitley in the budget.
US under secretary of acquisition, technology and logistics, Frank Kendall, the principal interlocutor for the DTI, is accompanying Hagel and will hold a meeting with Doval. Talks will cover the situation in the Af-Pak region and the rise of fundamentalist forces like ISIS in West Asia as well as a possible deal on purchase of some 3,000 advanced military vehicles that US troops plan to leave in Afghanistan after withdrawal this year.
The Americans are also willing to deepen service-to-service engagements with advanced and multilateral military exercises as well as to strengthen Indian capabilities on the borders. On the agenda will be the purchase by India of six more C-17 heavy lift aircraft, 10 Chinook CH 77 heavy lift helicopters, 22 Apache Longbow attack helicopters and 200 Honeywell engines for upgradation of the Jaguar fighter fleet.
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