We are reliable supplier of defence equipment, says US ambassador

Agra: US ambassador to India, Timothy J Roemer, today said America was ready to support India's drive to modernise its armed forces. The ambassador made his comments while inaugurating the five-day Cope India 2009 joint air exercises here

"The United States is ready to support India in its drive to modernise its armed forces," Roemer said.

The five-day joint exercise involves Indian Air Force and United States Air Force transport aircraft. While the US team comprises more than 150 airmen, three C-130H Hercules, one C-17 Globemaster III, and one C-130J aircraft, the IAF will field one IL-76 Gajraj, four AN-32 Sutlej, two MI-17 Pratap, and one Chetak Alouette III helicopter for the exercise.

Roemer also tried to dispel fears over reliability of America as a supplier of defence equipment to India."I know that some are apprehensive about reliability of the United States as a supplier of military equipment to India. I can tell you that our relationship is far different than it was even a few years back," he said.

Trying to drive his point home, Roemer said Indo-US relationship had come a long way since and that "this is a different world today.''

Even as the scope of Indo-US defence co-operation increases, with larger and sophisticated defence exercises being executed by the armed forces of both countries, and even as America allows India to access a larger variety of American defence equipment the fact remains that there are genuine grounds for fears regarding the US as a defence supplier.