WTF is goin on???
NEW DELHI - U.S. President Barack Obama's announcement that Washington will endorse India's bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council could be a game-changer in Indo-American defense and strategic ties, a defense analyst here said.
PRESIDENT OBAMA ADDRESSES India's parliament Nov. 8 in New Delhi. (Jim Watson / Agence France-Presse)
Nitin Mehta said the decision could even swing big-ticket defense projects in favor of U.S. companies, including the $10 billion Medium Multirole Combat Aircraft (MMRCA). Lockheed Martin's F-16 is competing for the contract, as is Boeing's F-18 aircraft, Mehta said.
RELATED TOPICS
Americas
Asia & Pacific Rim
Air Warfare
Obama announced the U.S. support for India's council bid during an address to the parliament here Nov. 8.
"In the years ahead, I look forward to a reformed U.N. Security Council that includes India as a permanent member," Obama told the parliament.
The MMRCA award ultimately will be a political decision, an Indian Air Force official said, agreeing that Obama's announcement to the parliament has the power to swing the MMRCA in favor of an American company.
Meanwhile, India and the U.S. signed six agreements and four memorandums of understanding (MoU) on Nov. 8. These included a MoU for cooperation in setting up a Global Center for Nuclear Energy Partnership.
Under this agreement, India and the U.S. have said they would promote cooperation on initiatives to strengthen global nuclear security and address threats of nuclear terrorism.