In an effort to further strengthen military-to-military ties, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat will hold wide ranging discussions with the US top brass during his
four-day visit there beginning on Tuesday.
Both the Armies now hold regular joint exercises here and in the US annually besides exchange of officers to promote better relations. His visit comes against the backdrop of growing strategic and Defence ties between the countries increasing manifold over the past few years.
Moreover, the US has emerged as one of the biggest weapon suppliers to India in the last two decades with India recently signing deal with a US firm for 72, 400 Sig Sauer assault rifles worth over Rs 700 crore for frontline troops guarding the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan and Line of Actual Control (LAC) facing China.
The rifles will be acquired on fast track basis and likely to be inducted within a year. Also, the arms exports from the US have crossed the ten billion dollar mark in last few years and the US keen to have joint ventures with Indian companies to manufacture weapons here.
Given this scenario, the Army Chief led delegation will interact with senior military hierarchy of the US Armed Forces with an aim to take forward the military to military cooperation. The Army Chief will also visit the US Military Academy at West Point and the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, officials said here on Monday. Rawat is an alumnus of the prestigious college.
Rawat will interact with General Joseph F Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and General Mark A Milley, Chief of Staff of the US Army to discuss military cooperation issues of mutual interest.
The visit to US aims to give impetus to the military ties and enhance strategic engagements. The functional experience gained during the visit shall further enhance India-US relationship, they said.