'Expanding military engagement': Rajnath Singh holds talks with US Defence Secy Meet

New Delhi, Mar 20: India and the US focused on expanding their military engagement during a meeting on Saturday between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the US Secretary of Defence, General Lloyd Austin, a joint statement said on Saturday. The talks also included wide-ranging defence cooperation, information-sharing in emerging areas, and mutual logistical support, the statement said.

 

 

 

Both the Ministers "focussed on our wide-ranging defence cooperation and expanding military-to-military engagement across services, information sharing, cooperation in emerging sectors of defence, and mutual logistics support," the statement said.

 

 

Singh said that he had "a comprehensive and fruitful discussion with Secretary Austin and his delegation". Further, "We're determined to realise the full potential of comprehensive global strategic partnership," he said adding that he had invited the US defence industry to take advantage of India's liberalised FDI policies in the sector.

 

 

India is the third destination in Austin's three-nation tour, the first since the Joe Biden administration took charge earlier this year. The US Defence Secretary called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and held talks with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval hours after his arrival in Delhi on Friday.

 

 

Both of them, meanwhile, reviewed many bilateral and multilateral exercises agreeing on increased cooperation between the Indian military, the US Indo-Pacific, Central, and Africa Commands. The joint statement said that the talks focused on steps to implement bilateral defence pacts such as Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA), Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement, and Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA).

 

BECA will provide India real-time access to American geospatial intelligence. LEMOA is an India-specific version of a deal the US has with several countries close to it in military terms. COMCASA allows India to procure equipment for encrypted communications for US-made weapons systems. Together, the three are the foundational agreements the US signs with other countries close to it.