The US defence department, also known as Pentagon because of theshape of its building, does not view defence equipment sales as merecommercial transactions and looks at them as a growth area for theIndia-US partnership, a senior defence official said Thursday.
"Iam and will continue to be a strong advocate of US solutions forIndia's defence needs," Michele Flournoy, under-secretary of defencefor policy, told members of the Asia Society. "US companies are eagerto work with India as the Indian military continues to modernise."
Notingtwo American companies, Boeing and Lockheed Martin, are among sixcompetitors for India's biggest fighter-jet purchase in 15 years, shesaid, "We are also looking at future sales of the C-17 aircraft asanother example of near term defence sales."
"We understand thatIndia is making a strategic as well as an economic choice when it makesdefence acquisitions," she said. "Obviously, the commercial benefits ofdefence sales to the US economy can't be denied."
"But from a[defence department] perspective, these sales are even more importantin building a strategic partnership that will allow both our countriesto cooperate more effectively to protect our mutual security interestsin the future," Flournoy said.
"Whether the scenario involveshumanitarian assistance, counterterrorism cooperation or maritimesecurity activities," she continued, "having common equipment willallow more seamless cooperation."
India is seeking to build itsown indigenous defence industry, and is looking for the besttechnologies to use in its defence sector, Flournoy said.
TheUnited States is committed to providing India with top-of-the-linetechnology, and has backed up its commitment by approving theoverwhelming majority of licenses requested last year, she said.
Flournoynoted defence secretary Robert M Gates has made export control reform akey priority, citing the streamlining and modernising of the US exportcontrol system as a national security priority that affects thenation's ability to build and sustain key partnerships.
India andthe United States will explore ways to counter the spread of weapons ofmass destruction through maritime cooperation, dialogue, andidentifying new technologies to combat this threat, Flournoy said.
"Wewill look at ways in which, together, we can better secure the globalcommons by expanding our already robust cooperation in air, space,cyberspace and maritime initiatives."
