With the Indo-US nuclear deal "on the right track", Defence Minister A K Antony will visit the US this September to "continue the defence cooperation dialogue" between the two countries but no agreement will be signed during the trip.
"Actually, it is part of my return visit....I am going to the US not to sign any agreement. It is part of the continuing defence dialogue between the US and India," Antony told reporters after inaugurating a defence seminar at Vigyan Bhavan here.
Antony said it was on the invitation of US Defence Secretary Robert Gates, who was in New Delhi a few months ago, that he would be travelling to the US.
"India has a cordial defence partnership with the US. During his (Gates') visit and after that, he invited me to the US. I accepted that invitation and I am going there," he said to a query.
Antony will be leading a high-level delegation to the US and his entourage will comprise Defence Secretary Vijay Singh, Eastern Army Commander Lt-Gen V K Singh, Air Officer (Personnel) Air Marshal S Mukherjee, and Director General Acquisitions S K Sharma.
With India's military hardware purchases expected to touch $50 billion in the next five years, the two countries are looking at joint collaborations and research in advanced weapon and platform systems.
Towards this end, the two countries, are looking at concluding key agreements to open doors for transfer of advanced American technology to India.