The chief of the US Pacific military command was set to meet India's top security officials on Wednesday to boost defense ties between the two countries, US embassy officials said. Commander in Chief Admiral Dennis C Blair was to consult with India's defense, foreign and interior ministers regarding joint exercises between naval, air and ground forces of the two countries. They would also discuss increased port visits, military education and counter-terrorism cooperation, officials said. Blair, based at Camp H M Smith in Hawaii, is the senior US military commander in the Pacific and Indian Ocean region. He directs the US Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force operations across more than 100 million square miles. He was scheduled to meet with the chiefs of India's army, navy and air force, followed by consultations with Defense Minister George Fernandes, External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh and Home Affairs Minister Lal Krishna Advani. Later on Wednesday, Blair was to meet with Brajesh Mishra, the principal secretary to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and India's national security adviser. Increased military cooperation between India and the US - including arms sales and joint military exercises - was discussed during Vajpayee's Nov. 9 meeting with US President George W Bush in Washington. India has pledged its support and logistical aid to the US in its campaign in Afghanistan against the Taliban and Osama bin Laden, the chief suspect in the September 11 terrorist attacks in America.
The USS John Young, an American naval destroyer, is currently docked at the Madras port in southern India on a refueling and restocking visit.
On Thursday, Blair was scheduled to address the Confederation of Indian Industry on the military relationship between India and the US and the importance of the integration of defense with the economy, a statement from the industry group said.
The Cold War years were marked by mutual distrust between India and the US. New Delhi called itself non-aligned but leaned toward the then Soviet Union for its weaponry and military hardware.
But relations have improved in recent years, propelled by the collapse of the Soviet Union and India's sweeping economic reforms which opened up its one billion strong market to American companies.
Relations between the two countries went through a rough patch after India conducted nuclear tests in 1998. Defense relations were snapped, and, as India's rival Pakistan responded with nuclear tests, Washington slapped economic and defense sanctions on both South Asian nations. Most of these sanctions were lifted soon after the September 11 terrorists attacks on New York and Washington, as both India and Pakistan joined the international coalition against terrorism. Bureau Report