Carter Calls U.S.-India Defense Partnership "Anchor of Global Security'

Press Release

The defense partnership between the United States and India will become an anchor of global security, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said today in a joint news conference with Indian Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar.

Following a meeting between the defense leaders, Carter said Parrikar's first official visit to the Pentagon is a sign of the growing strength of the defense ties between the two democracies.

The two leaders in June signed the Defense Technology and Trade Initiative, which Carter described as a framework that charts a course for the U.S.-India relationship for the next decade, fosters technology cooperation, works to build industry-to-industry ties and identifies opportunities for the co-development and co-production of defense systems.

"For instance," Carter said, "today, Minister Parrikar and I discussed the progress that's been made toward cooperation on jet engines and aircraft carrier design and construction [and] opportunities to collaborate on additional projects of interest."

The growing strategic partnership between the United States and India is rooted in shared ideals, mutual interests and a spirit of innovation, the secretary said.

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