Senators press Mattis, Tillerson on India defense deals

[Vikrant]

I truly hope Trump administration understands the importance of defense ties with India.

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WASHINGTON — A bipartisan pair of key senators are pressing the Trump administration to approve two defense deals between the U.S. and India, arguing that U.S. jobs hang in the balance.

Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Mark Warner, D-Va., jointly sent letters to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. The lawmakers pressed, in one letter, to approve co-production of Lockheed Martin’s F-16 in India and, in the other letter, to approve the export of General Atomics’ Guardian, a nonlethal maritime version of the MQ-9 Reaper.

The two lawmakers co-chair the U.S.-India caucus, while Cornyn is the No. 2 Republican in the Senate and Warner is vice chairman on the Senate Intelligence Committee. For the defense industrial base, the F-16 deal would help sustain the existing fleet, they argue, while the potential Guardian sale is worth $2 billion.

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Senators press Mattis, Tillerson on India defense deals

 

[irosie91]

defense against what

 

[Manonthestreet]

India can buy F-16 made by Americans.

 

[Vikrant]

...

The two senators acknowledge the “strategic importance of the growing United States-India defense and economic relationship,” which has enjoyed broad bipartisan support in Washington, D.C., for well over a decade now. They further note that India “increasingly serves as an integral partner in the United States’ security architecture in the volatile South Asia region.” This comment echoes Mattis’ own remarks to India’s national security adviser two weeks ago. Mattis commended India for promoting “stability in the South Asia region” then. In addition to highlighting the strategic value of the deals, Cornyn and Warner highlight the potentially positive effect of the deals on preserving U.S. employment in the defense sector.

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US Senators Urge Progress on US-India F-16, Guardian Drone Deals

 

[irosie91]

...

The two senators acknowledge the “strategic importance of the growing United States-India defense and economic relationship,” which has enjoyed broad bipartisan support in Washington, D.C., for well over a decade now. They further note that India “increasingly serves as an integral partner in the United States’ security architecture in the volatile South Asia region.” This comment echoes Mattis’ own remarks to India’s national security adviser two weeks ago. Mattis commended India for promoting “stability in the South Asia region” then. In addition to highlighting the strategic value of the deals, Cornyn and Warner highlight the potentially positive effect of the deals on preserving U.S. employment in the defense sector.

...

US Senators Urge Progress on US-India F-16, Guardian Drone Deals

I am delighted------but what common interest in DEFENSE do India and USA
have? I am not denying that there is something-----but what is it? As to
economics------OK ----seems good to me. Is china the problem?

 

[Vikrant]

...

The two senators acknowledge the “strategic importance of the growing United States-India defense and economic relationship,” which has enjoyed broad bipartisan support in Washington, D.C., for well over a decade now. They further note that India “increasingly serves as an integral partner in the United States’ security architecture in the volatile South Asia region.” This comment echoes Mattis’ own remarks to India’s national security adviser two weeks ago. Mattis commended India for promoting “stability in the South Asia region” then. In addition to highlighting the strategic value of the deals, Cornyn and Warner highlight the potentially positive effect of the deals on preserving U.S. employment in the defense sector.

...

US Senators Urge Progress on US-India F-16, Guardian Drone Deals

I am delighted------but what common interest in DEFENSE do India and USA
have? I am not denying that there is something-----but what is it? As to
economics------OK ----seems good to me. Is china the problem?

...

For the countries of the region, the initial days of the Trump administration has been replete with confusing signals. There is a general sense that the US-China relationship will be frosty at best, and the impact of this would be felt in every regional capital. Trump and his top cabinet picks have indicated a more confrontational stance on China's island-building, definitely more aggressive on trade and tariffs, while walking away from the only Obama "pivot" exercise, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

The Trump administration does not believe, as some do, that undoing TPP will open strategic space for China.

It believes that TPP would have had a limited impact in "containing" China and that Asian nations were in any case wary of Beijing's intent and would look to hedge their bets.

On the other hand, after showing some desire to change the US-China template, Trump reaffirmed the "one-China" policy, secretary of state Rex Tillerson moderated his comments on South China Sea and North Korea's recent missile test went off with a mild reproof from Washington.

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As US-China ties run into trouble, India eyes bigger Asean role - Times of India

 

[Vikrant]

...

The two senators acknowledge the “strategic importance of the growing United States-India defense and economic relationship,” which has enjoyed broad bipartisan support in Washington, D.C., for well over a decade now. They further note that India “increasingly serves as an integral partner in the United States’ security architecture in the volatile South Asia region.” This comment echoes Mattis’ own remarks to India’s national security adviser two weeks ago. Mattis commended India for promoting “stability in the South Asia region” then. In addition to highlighting the strategic value of the deals, Cornyn and Warner highlight the potentially positive effect of the deals on preserving U.S. employment in the defense sector.

...

US Senators Urge Progress on US-India F-16, Guardian Drone Deals

I am delighted------but what common interest in DEFENSE do India and USA
have? I am not denying that there is something-----but what is it? As to
economics------OK ----seems good to me. Is china the problem?

Trump may have found his big ally to counterbalance China...and it's not Russia

For all the talk about the mutual admiration between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, it may not be Russia that the U.S. president sees as America's critical new ally.

In his first few days in office, Trump scheduled a phone call with Narendra Modi, making the prime minister of India one of the first leaders he spoke to following his inauguration.

In its official statement Tuesday evening, the White House said that Trump and Modi "discussed opportunities to strengthen the partnership between the United States and India in broad areas such as the economy and defense."

Sources close to the prime minster said the conversation was focused on defense. The White House did not respond to a CNBC request for further comment.

A tightening of relations with India is something that was already accelerating under Barack Obama, whose administration saw the world's biggest democracy as a counterbalance to China's rising power. Trump may take the relationship further.

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Trump may have found his big ally to counterbalance China — and it's not Russia

 

[irosie91]

OK----seems logical to me-----For Trump the fight is not MILITARY----it
is economic-----and the fact is that china is obsessed with the economic
issue too.

 

[irosie91]

PS-----Modi makes a mistake in COZYING up to Iran -----IM not so h O