WASHINGTON: The Trump administration has approved a $2 billion sale of General Atomics naval surveillance drones, enhancing its ability to monitor the Indian Ocean. Also, on Wednesday the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of its intention to sell C-17 transport aircraft to India.

The $366.2 million deal was announced during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington earlier this week.

US President Donald Trump referred indirectly to the deal in his first White House meeting on Monday with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Trump said it “always makes us feel very good” when other countries purchase American-made military equipment. “There’s nobody makes military equipment like we make military equipment. Nobody even close,” he added.

In a joint press briefing, at the White House, Modi said “the strengthening of India’s defence capabilities, with the help of USA, is something that we truly appreciate.”

In remarks to the 42nd annual leadership summit of the US-India Business Council on Tuesday, US Vice President Mike Pence said that the US will also sell AH-64 Apache attack helicopters and C-17 transports to India in addition to the Sky-Guardians.

A White House fact-sheet issued after

Modi’s visit said that completion of the Guardian, Apache and C-17 sales “would increase bilateral defence trade to nearly $19 billion, supporting thousands of United States jobs.” The sale needs congressional approval.

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2017