Skip to main content

Countering China's aggression: US bill seeks to train Indian fighter pilots

The National Defence Authorization Act (NDAA) for the 2021 fiscal year starting October, which the US Senate took up on Thursday, seeks fighter jet training detachment for India, Japan and Australia in the US Pacific territory of Guam.
 
Representative Image
The United States will offer fighter jet training to India, Japan and Australia even as it plans multiple initiatives to counter China’s aggression across Asia Pacific including its standoff with India along the Line of Actual Control.

The National Defence Authorization Act (NDAA) for the 2021 fiscal year starting October, which the US Senate took up on Thursday, seeks fighter jet training detachment for India, Japan and Australia in the US Pacific territory of Guam.

Japan, one of India's emerging strategic partners and member of the quadrilateral, has also highlighted the need to keep an eye on China's military capabilities and intentions across Asia.

Japanese defence minister Taro Kono acknowledged the persistent threat from China and North Korea, not only in the hard power arena but also in cyberspace, at a special briefing for foreign media in Tokyo on Thursday after Japanese forces chased a Chinese submarine out of Japanese waters.

“We need to raise awareness of what's going on around Japan,” Kono said, pointing to China's recent actions in the South China Sea, Hong Kong, and along its border with India.

The NDAA 2021 calls for the US secretary of defence to submit to the Congressional defence committees a report assessing the merit and feasibility of entering into agreements similar to that of Singapore with other US allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region, to include Japan, Australia, and India, officials said.

Among other things, the bill calls for a Pacific Deterrence Initiative, which will focus resources on the Indo-Pacific, addressing key military capability gaps, reassuring US allies and partners, and bolstering the credibility of the US, said Senator Jim Inhofe, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The bill proposes procurement of 48 long-range anti-ship missiles (LRASMs), which it said will be especially useful in the Indo-Pacific, which the defence department has named its “priority theatre”. NDAA also seeks acceleration in the American effort to establish F-35A operating locations forward in the Indo-Pacific region.

  Source : The Economic Times  

Labels:
Location: Cavalier Tower #56-04, 1st Floor, Gubbi Cross, Opp Decathlon, DR Bendre Layout, Kothanur, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560077, India

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Explained: What is Army Aviation Corps, the youngest Corps of the Indian Army

A look at the Army Aviation Corps’ history and its relevance in modern day battlefields, including in Counter Insurgency and Counter Terrorism (CI-CT) operations. Representative Image The Army Aviation Corps (AAC), the youngest Corps of the Indian Army, celebrated its 35th Corps Day on November 1. We take a look at the arm that adds an air dimension to the Army’s capabilities, its history, and its relevance in modern day battlefields, including Counter Insurgency and Counter Terrorism (CI-CT) operations. The roots of Army Aviation Corps The origin of the AAC can be traced back to the raising of the Army Aviation wing of the Royal Air Force in India in 1942, and the subsequent formation of the first Indian Air Observation Post in August 1947. The Air Observation Post units primarily acted as artillery spotters – which are the elements that help the artillery in directing the fire and also giving air support to ground forces. In the wars of 1965 and 1971, the Air Observation Post helicop...
Post a Comment
Read more

India's S-400, Nuke Subs, Rafales pose a serious threat to Pak - FM Qureshi

India’s purchase of Russian S-400 air defence systems, via a deal signed last year and worth $5.43 billion, has unnerved Pakistan, with Foreign Minister Shah Mohammed Qureshi describing the S-400s as destabilising weapon systems which could affect the region's strategic stability. Delivery of the first S-400 system is likely to take place in 2020. Expressing his apprehension about the arms purchase by India, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mohammed Qureshi has called on global powers to be "mindful" of their responsibility in terms of arms supplies to the region. "The introduction of new destabilising weapon systems, such as the S-400 anti-ballistic missile system, could further accentuate challenges to strategic stability. They can encourage a misadventure by an adversary, under a false sense of security," FM Shah Mohammed Qureshi said on Wednesday in Islamabad. Last October, India inked a $5.43 billion defence contract with Russia to purchase of five S-400 air...
Post a Comment
Read more

Explained: India-US defence deals - BECA, LEMOA & COMCASA

At 2+2 meeting next week, the two countries will look to push intelligence sharing pact BECA . With key deals LEMOA and COMCASA already signed, what does it mean for defence, particularly in light of LAC standoff? India and US have signed the LEMOA in 2016, COMCASA in 2018 and BECA is scheduled for the third 2+2 ministerial meeting (on November 3rd) India and the US are preparing for the third 2+2 ministerial meeting between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh , and US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark T Esper in New Delhi on October 26-27. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen E Biegun visited India last week to lay the groundwork for the high-level visits 2+2 in 2018. One of the items on the agenda will be the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) — a pact with deep military implications. In the last two meetings, agreements known as LEMOA and COMCASA were signed; now, with BECA, these have been dubbed the ...
Post a Comment
Read more