Us-India Defence Ties Not To Be Hit By Budgetary Cuts: Pentagon

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[size=4][color=#404040][font=arial]WASHINGTON: The US today said its "strong" military ties with India are growing and a series of joint exercises between them are unlikely to be hit by a massive defence budgetary cuts announced this week. [/font][/color]

[color=#404040][font=arial]"I can tell you that the US-India relationship is a priority for the US Government and for the [/font][/color][url="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/topic/US-Department-of-Defence"]US Department of Defence[/url][color=#404040][font=arial] because a strong bilateral partnership is in the United States' interests and benefits both countries," Cmdr Leslie Hull-Ryde, a defence department spokeswoman, told PTI. [/font][/color]

[color=#404040][font=arial]Hull-Ryde was responding to questions on India-US defence relationship in the aftermath of the latest defence strategic document of the Pentagon, which says that the United States is investing in a long term strategic partnership with India. [/font][/color]

[color=#404040][font=arial]"The United States is investing in a long-term strategic partnership with India to support its ability to serve as a regional economic anchor and provider of security in the broader Indian Ocean region," said the strategic document unveiled by President Barack Obama at the Pentagon. [/font][/color]

[color=#404040][font=arial]The new strategy policy is supposed to shape [/font][/color][url="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/topic/Pentagon"]Pentagon[/url][color=#404040][font=arial] budget priorities as [/font][/color][url="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/topic/Obama"]Obama's administration[/url][color=#404040][font=arial] prepares for USD 487 billion in defence cuts over the next 10 years. [/font][/color]

[color=#404040][font=arial]"It's premature to discuss budget-related specifics as our leadership is still going through the process of making final budget decisions," she said. [/font][/color]

[color=#404040][font=arial]However, given the significance attached to the India-US defense relationship, officials said the series of military-to-military exercises between the two countries are unlikely to be affected by this massive defence cuts. [/font][/color]

[color=#404040][font=arial]Some of the important exercises currently scheduled between the US and India for this year are Shatrujeet (spring), [/font][/color][url="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/topic/Yudh-Abhyas"]Yudh Abhyas[/url][color=#404040][font=arial] (spring), [/font][/color][url="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/topic/Habu-Nag"]Habu Nag[/url][color=#404040][font=arial] (late fall), Malabar (spring) and RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific Exercise), which is the world's largest international maritime exercise in the summer. [/font][/color]

[color=#404040][font=arial]At this time there is no indication that any of these exercises being affected by any US budget constraints, said a Pacific Command official. [/font][/color]

[color=#404040][font=arial]"In the past decade, there has been a rapid transformation in the US-India defence relationship. What was once a nascent relationship between unfamiliar nations has now evolved into a strategic partnership between two of the preeminent powers in Asia," the spokeswoman said. [/font][/color]

[color=#404040][font=arial]"Today, US-India ties are strong and growing. Our military-to-military engagement has increased steadily over the past ten years and now includes a robust slate of dialogues, military exercises, defence trade, personnel exchanges and armaments cooperation," she said.[/font][/color][/size]

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