Senator Mark Warner (D- VA) and John Coryn (R-TX) , Co-Chair of the Senate India Caucus, introduced S. 2901, the US-India Defense Technology and Partnership Act.
This legislation institutionalizes the US government's focus on the US-India security relationship while sending a powerful signal to New Delhi that the United States is a reliable and dependable defense partner.
For the United states, it encourages the executive branch to: designate an official to focus on US-India defense cooperation, facilitate the transfer of defense technology, maintain a special office in the Pentagon dedicated exclusively to the US-India Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI), enhance India's military capabilities in the context of combined military planning, and promote co-production/co-development opportunities.
For India, it encourages the government to authorize combined military planning with the United States for missions of mutual interest such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, counter piracy, and maritime domain awareness. The bill also puts India on par with America's closest defense partners, including NATO members and Israel, for the purpose of congressional defense sales notifications.
"I applaud Senator Warner and Coryn's leadership in introducing this bill in the Senate. The commercial and security imperatives for a robust defense partnership between the US and India could not be clearer. Defense trade has risen from some USD 300 million to over USD 14 billion over the last 10 years and there is every reason to expect it to rise further. USIBC strongly supports this bill and encourages widespread support in the Senate," said USIBC President Mukesh Aghi.
"As an important partner with a flourishing economy, India has huge potential as a market for American defense manufacturers, which support millions of American jobs. This bill supports strengthening our bilateral relationship, particularly in defense, and bestows upon India the status it deserves as a partner in promoting security in Asia and around the world," said Senator Warner.