The US and India signed a breakthrough security agreement on Thursday, cementing relations between the pair and unlocking sales of high-tech American weaponry worth billions of dollars to the world’s top arms importer.
Washington sees India as the linchpin of its new Indo-Pacific strategy to counter the rise of China, but has spent months pushing for closer co-operation. It wants Delhi to participate in more joint military exercises, boost its role in regional maritime security and increase arms purchases.
“We fully support India’s rise,” said Mike Pompeo, US secretary of state, during a visit to New Delhi. Later on Thursday the two countries signed Comcasa, a security agreement tailored to India that Jim Mattis, US defence secretary, said meant the pair could now share “sensitive technology”.