The high level Indo-US defence policy group meeting for the first time after the lifting of American sanctions on New Delhi held talks in New Delhi on Monday to discuss specific areas of defence cooperation including arms sales and transfer of dual use technology. The two-day meeting, a followup to the Bush-Vajpayee summit and the visit of US defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld, will explore bilateral defence cooperation, military to military cooperation, exchanges and training programmes for uniformed personnel of the two countries.
US under secretary for defence policy Douglas Feith is leading the American side in the talks with the Indian delegation headed by defence secretary Yogendra Narain. Feith is also scheduled to meet Defence Minister George Fernandes, a spokesman said.
The Indo-US Defence Policy Group (dpg), the apex body providing guidance and extent of defence cooperation, last met in 1997 and the two-day meeting beginning tomorrow signals a new era in the robust military to military relationship that the two countries are looking for. With Indo-US defence ties entering a new era and Washington ready to give India export licences for dual use technology and military sales, New Delhi at this meeting will put forth its immediate arms requirements.
The US while enhancing military to military relationship with India is also moving towards increasing commercial military to military ties.
The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme requirements, Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), spares for sea king helicopters and sea harriers are likely to figure in the talks. As a precursor to the meeting of the DPG, US pacific command commander-in-chief Admiral Dennis Blair visited India. The admiral said the intense series of meetings between the civilian and uniformed leaders of the two countries will hammer out specific policies that would lead to an unprecedented defence relationship.
Bureau Report