US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin will visit India in early June to discuss bilateral defence cooperation, As seen in the coverage by Ely Ratner, assistant secretary for Indo-Pacific security affairs in the Department of Defense. Ratner said India and the US are more strategically aligned than ever before and that the defence relationship with India is a top priority for the US. He hinted at major announcements during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the US on 22 June and expressed support for co-production and co-development of defence systems to strengthen India’s indigenous capabilities. This will be Austin’s second trip to India and his seventh visit to the Indo-Pacific since taking office in January 2021.
As seen in the coverage by a recent report, Lloyd Austin, the United States (US) secretary of defence, is set to visit India in early June to discuss bilateral defence cooperation. This marks the fourth time a US cabinet-level secretary has visited India this year, following Secretary of State Antony J Blinken, treasury secretary Janet Yellen, and commerce secretary Gina Raimondo.
Ely Ratner, the assistant secretary for Indo-Pacific security affairs in the department of defense, emphasized the strategic alignment between India and the US, stating that the defence relationship with India is a top priority and cannot continue in “business-as-usual” mode. Ratner also hinted at major announcements during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the US on June 22, expressing support for co-production and co-development of defence systems to strengthen India’s indigenous capabilities.
Austin’s visit to India is his second and his seventh to the Indo-Pacific since taking office in January 2021. He will address the Shangrila dialogue in Singapore before heading to New Delhi on June 4. The secretary’s visit comes in the lead-up to Modi’s state visit, where defence cooperation is expected to be a key topic of discussion.
Speaking at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Ratner highlighted the historic period of building, deepening, modernizing, and advancing the US-India major defence partnership. He also referenced the launch of the initiative on critical and emerging technologies (ICET) earlier this year, which has a significant component on defence industrial cooperation.
The US and India have been working to strengthen their defence ties in recent years, with the two countries signing several agreements and conducting joint military exercises. The US has also designated India as a major defence partner, which has led to increased collaboration in areas such as defence trade, technology transfer, and co-development and co-production of defence equipment.
The visit by Austin is expected to further strengthen the defence partnership between the two countries and pave the way for deeper collaboration in the future. With the US and India both facing growing challenges in the Indo-Pacific region, including from China, a strong defence partnership is crucial to maintaining stability and security in the region.
As the final decision, the upcoming visit by Lloyd Austin, the US secretary of defence, to India in early June highlights the growing importance of the defence partnership between the two countries. With India and the US more strategically aligned than ever before, the visit is expected to lead to major announcements and further collaboration in areas such as defence trade, technology transfer, and co-development and co-production of defence equipment. As both countries face growing challenges in the Indo-Pacific region, a strong defence partnership is crucial to maintaining stability and security in the region.
