US Secretary of Defence Lloyd James Austin III is landing shortly in New Delhi as he becomes the first top level official of the newly-elected Joe Biden government to visit India.
Austin, a former United States Army four-star general, would be eyeing to further cement the India-US military ties. The visit is happening at a time when Indian and Chinese militaries are yet to be completely disengaged from the standoff points on the Line of Actual Control. It is notable that Washington has been standing firm with India during the Ladakh military standoff with aggressive Chinese People's Liberation Army.
"Besides strengthening the Indo-US defence and strategic ties, the visit will also have a focus on enhancing cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. And ways to counter aggressive China and the Afghanistan peace process would also be on the table," said a top official based in South Block, while adding that the visit comes just days after top leadership of India, Japan, Australia and the US virtually met under the Quad umbrella, where they have pledged to expand their cooperation in the crucial Indo-Pacific region.
Apart from meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Austin will have one-on-one with his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh on Saturday. There will be a delegation level talk, which will be attended by Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar besides Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh, Army chief Gen. M.M. Naravane and Air Chief Marshal R.K.S. Bhadauria, and key officials of the ministry of defence.
The Joe Biden-led government had recently released its Interim National Security Strategic Guidance, in which Washington had called for deepening America’s partnership with India.
In a statement, issued on March 10, the Indian government stated that India and the US are expected to discuss ways to further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation and exchange views on regional security challenges and common interests in maintaining a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.
"Discussion regarding defence cooperation would also focus on how both countries could consolidate military-to-military cooperation and defence trade and industry cooperation," the MoD said in a statement.
Though the primary focus of the visit is to convey the Biden government's approach towards India, the two sides may discuss India's plan to purchase armed drones from the United States. Proposal to acquire 30 armed drones, 10 each for army, navy and air force worth $3 Billion, is on the cards along with Indian Navy's plans to buy six additional P8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft from the US. The Indian Navy operates 12 P8I multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft.
However, a day before Austin's visit, Senator Robert Menendez, chairman of the influential Senate Foreign Relations Committee, wrote to him and urged him to take up with India the issue of New Delhi procuring the Russian-made S-400 missile defence system.
"If India chooses to go forward with its purchase of the S-400, that act will clearly constitute a significant, and therefore sanctionable, transaction with the Russian defense sector under Section 231 of CAATSA," Menendez said in a letter to Austin, referring to the law called Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act.
"It will also limit India's ability to work with the US on development and procurement of sensitive military technology. I expect you to make all of these challenges clear in conversations with your Indian counterparts," he further wrote.
India had signed a USD 5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems in 2018. New Delhi went ahead with the deal despite a warning from the Trump administration that India may face US sanctions.
