WASHINGTON: The Pentagon has stated that the United States wants to be not only India's "premier partner" in its extraordinary growth story but also its security partner of last resort.
On Wednesday, Pentagon Press Secretary Brig Gen Patrick Ryder made these remarks while responding to a question about the India-US initiative on critical emerging technologies, which recently launched and includes a significant defense component.
Ryder stated, "The high level of participation from across the US government, US industry, and our universities is unprecedented" and "sends a strong signal that the United States wants not only to be India's security partner of first resort – but to be the premier partner in India's extraordinary growth story." This is because the United States wants to be India's premier partner in its extraordinary growth story.
He stated that the Department of Defense is excited to participate in the United States–India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET), which is led by the White House.
“As the new initiatives develop moving forward, we look forward to sharing more information on our defense cooperation with India. "Ryder stated that these initiatives will promote integration between US and Indian defense firms and accelerate a shift from defense sales to defense joint production and development."
iCET was launched earlier this month under the direction of US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who made the announcement during their meeting in Tokyo in May 2022 to elevate and expand the strategic technology partnership and defense industrial cooperation between their governments, businesses, and academic institutions.
The two nations have identified six areas of cooperation under the iCET, including co-development and co-production. These areas will gradually be extended to the Quad, NATO, Europe, and the rest of the world.
The Biden administration also stated in January that India is a significant option for the United States.