Current Affairs: Minister of Defense of India Manohar Parrikar made an official visit to the United States from December 7-10, 2015 that included visits to multiple U.S. facilities including U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM), the Pentagon, and a visit with Secretary Carter to observe flight operations aboard the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69).
First, Defense Minister Parrikar participated as a guest of honor in a Pearl Harbor commemorative ceremony at PACOM. He also met with Admiral Harry Harris, the PACOM Commander and visited various facilities in Honolulu, Hawaii.
At the Pentagon, Minister Parrikar and Secretary Carter held their third meeting. They discussed the India-US defense relationship and broader India-US strategic partnership, and focused on ways to maintain the strong momentum of security and defense engagement, including means to further move the Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) forward.
Secretary Carter and Minister Parrikar expressed satisfaction with DTTI progress to date. They committed to identifying additional projects for possible co-development and co-production of high technology items that meet the transformational intent of DTTI.
The official visit underlined the strategic importance of the defense relationship and the personal priority that the Minister and Secretary place on the bilateral partnership. During his visit, Minister Parrikar also met with senior National Security Council officials and members of Congress.
Minister Parrikar and Secretary Carter commended positive discussions at the Joint Working Group on Aircraft Carrier Technology Cooperation (JWGACTC), especially in the area of Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment (ALRE), and look forward to continued progress to be achieved at the second meeting of the JWGACTC in February 2016 in India.
They further expressed satisfaction that the Jet Engine Technology Joint Working Group (JETJWG), which met this week in Bengaluru, had concluded its Terms of Reference and had productive discussion on cooperation in this area.
Secretary Carter informed Minister Parrikar that in light of the strengthening relationship between the United States and India, the DoD has updated its policy on gas turbine engine technology transfer to India.
Secretary Carter welcomed India’s participation in the Rim-of-the-Pacific (RIMPAC) multilateral naval exercise in 2016 as well as participation by the Indian Air Force in the multilateral Red Flag exercise in April-May 2016, and expressed support for greater Air-to-Air interaction in the future. Minister Parrikar welcomed announcement of US participation in the International Fleet Review of the Indian Navy at Visakhapatnam in February 2016.