India, US ties continue to strengthen, says Defense Secy Lloyd Austin

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Tuesday said that ties between India and US, including military ties, were growing stronger. He further observed that the two were 'significant steps' to deepen their defense cooperation.

New Delhi:Ties between India and the United States — the world's two largest democracies — including military ties, are growing stronger, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J Austin Tuesday told External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who is on an official visit to Washington DC.

"Today, we are positioning the US and Indian militaries to operate and coordinate more closely together than ever," Austin said. He noted that these conversations reinforce the growing depth, breadth, and ambition of the partnership between the two notices. ""And that partnership is moving from strength to strength," the Defense Secretary said.

Military cooperation between the two nations, the US Department of Defense said, is at an all-time high. "Indian and US service members regularly exercise together, and the two governments regularly share information and intelligence, especially in the wake of the geospatial agreement signed between the two governments in 2020. India participates in the American international military education and training program," the DoD said in an official handout.

"Today, we are positioning the U.S. and Indian militaries to operate and coordinate more closely together than ever," Austin said. "We're taking significant steps to deepen our defense cooperation from stronger information sharing and defense industrial ties to cooperation in emerging defense domains, including through the launch of a new dialogue later this year," he said.

The Indian military is becoming more interoperable with its US partners. India has purchased Apache helicopters, Seahawk helicopters and has expressed interest in other US defense capabilities. "All this will help ensure that our militaries are ready for future challenges," the secretary said.

Regional security is especially important right now, due to China's increasing bellicosity, especially regarding Taiwan, the secretary said. "In recent months, we have seen the PRC intensify its efforts to challenge the rules-based international order," he said.

In addition, China continues to support Russia — a nation also seeking to overturn the rules-based order — amid its unprovoked and cruel invasion of Ukraine, he said. India and the United States face sustained challenges to peace, security and prosperity around the world. These challenges "only reaffirm the importance of our partnership," the Defense secretary said.