indian_foxhound
FULL MEMBER
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2013
- Messages
- 1,827
- Reaction score
- 0
The US is looking forward to expand its military
ties with India including a potential sale of the
F-35 fighter aircraft, though no decision have
been made so far, a top State Department official
said. We have made tremendous progress in the
defence trade relationship. Now were at USD 8
billion, we think theres going to be billion dollars
more in the next couple of years, said Andrew
Shapiro, Assistant Secretary of State for Political-
Military Affairs. When asked about a potential sale of the fifth
generation F-35 stealth fighter aircrafts to India,
he said that there might also be down the road
some potential for it, but certainly no decision has
been made regarding that. It was earlier speculated that the US might offer
the famed F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft to
India, following Indias rejection of the F/A-18
and F-16 fighters in the multi-million dollar
MMRCA deal. So we are on track, Shapiro told reporters in
response to a question at the Washington
Foreign Press Center. He added that the Deputy Secretary of Defence
Ashton Carter is heading up a defence trade
initiative with India, which the US believes is
making some good progress and will, hopefully,
lead to even a greater pace of additional defence
trade with India. Last year, Shapiro had led the US delegation for
the first ever political-military dialogue with India
in six years. It was significant because we were able to help
our Indian counterparts work through the
challenges of inter agency cooperation on
national security issues, said Shapiro. Indian officials have remarked that this
dialogue is especially helpful in helping
coordinate between the various interagency
partners in India, he added. Responding to question on news reports that
India might reopen its multi-billion dollar fighter
jet deal, he said the American companies would
have to consider if they want to participate in it. I wouldnt say we were kicked out (of the
fighter jet deal). I would say there was a
selection process where they made a
determination to down select to the two and
eventually to select the Rafale, he said. I have been reading in the Indian press various
rumors about that transaction. We have no
official communication from the Indian
government and obviously if there was a
reopening, US companies would have to consider
whether they want to participate, Shapiro added.
ties with India including a potential sale of the
F-35 fighter aircraft, though no decision have
been made so far, a top State Department official
said. We have made tremendous progress in the
defence trade relationship. Now were at USD 8
billion, we think theres going to be billion dollars
more in the next couple of years, said Andrew
Shapiro, Assistant Secretary of State for Political-
Military Affairs. When asked about a potential sale of the fifth
generation F-35 stealth fighter aircrafts to India,
he said that there might also be down the road
some potential for it, but certainly no decision has
been made regarding that. It was earlier speculated that the US might offer
the famed F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft to
India, following Indias rejection of the F/A-18
and F-16 fighters in the multi-million dollar
MMRCA deal. So we are on track, Shapiro told reporters in
response to a question at the Washington
Foreign Press Center. He added that the Deputy Secretary of Defence
Ashton Carter is heading up a defence trade
initiative with India, which the US believes is
making some good progress and will, hopefully,
lead to even a greater pace of additional defence
trade with India. Last year, Shapiro had led the US delegation for
the first ever political-military dialogue with India
in six years. It was significant because we were able to help
our Indian counterparts work through the
challenges of inter agency cooperation on
national security issues, said Shapiro. Indian officials have remarked that this
dialogue is especially helpful in helping
coordinate between the various interagency
partners in India, he added. Responding to question on news reports that
India might reopen its multi-billion dollar fighter
jet deal, he said the American companies would
have to consider if they want to participate in it. I wouldnt say we were kicked out (of the
fighter jet deal). I would say there was a
selection process where they made a
determination to down select to the two and
eventually to select the Rafale, he said. I have been reading in the Indian press various
rumors about that transaction. We have no
official communication from the Indian
government and obviously if there was a
reopening, US companies would have to consider
whether they want to participate, Shapiro added.