Washington DC: Three Indian liaison officers will soon be deployed to US commands to further bolster the defence collaboration. India and U.S. have agreed to it during the high profile state visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington DC.
After the summit talks between Modi and Biden, the White House announced that both the countries have made progress towards operationalising mechanisms that will allow the two countries to strengthen their defence cooperation.
The White House said, "the two countries have resolved to strengthen undersea domain awareness cooperation. The agreement to place three Indian liaison officers in US commands for the first time deepening our partnership and critical information sharing."
It further stressed, both countries have also commenced negotiations for a security of supply arrangement and a reciprocal defence procurement arrangement that will enable the supply of defence goods in the event of unanticipated supply chain disruptions.
In a joint statement following the talks, President Biden and Prime Minister Modi hailed the strong military-to-military ties, mutual logistics support, and efforts to streamline implementation of foundational agreements.
Both the leaders also welcomed India's emergence as a hub for maintenance and repair for forward deployed US Navy assets and the conclusion of master ship repair agreements with Indian shipyards.
This will facilitate the US Navy to expedite the contracting process for mid-voyage and emergent repair. As envisaged in the Defense Industrial Roadmap, both countries agree to work together for the creation of logistic, repair, and maintenance infrastructure for aircrafts and vessels in India, the statement said.
According to a White House Fact Sheet, the US Navy has concluded a master ship repair agreement with the Larsen and Toubro Shipyard in Kottapuli (Chennai) and is finalising agreements with the Mazagon Dock Limited (Mumbai) and the Goa Shipyard (Goa).
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