NEW DELHI: As a part of the exercise to enhance military cooperation between the United States and India, the chief of air staff, Air Chief Marshal, A. Krishnaswamy is on a week long visit to Washington.

Among the senior-ranking officials he is due to meet are the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, General Richard B. Myers and the chief of the US Pacific Command Admiral B. Fargo.

The two countries have just completed joint exercises which were carried out at Agra last month. Similarly, both are due to carry out joint exercises in Alaska later this year.

While Krishnaswamy is keen to ascertain the view of the US air force in their operations against the Taliban and the Al Qaeda, the American authorities have shown interest in learning from the operations carried out by the Indian air force in Kargil and Siachin glaciers.

Particularly much of the American experience would be of valuable interest to the Indian air force in the Kashmir valley, in Ladakh and in the northeast.

Among the prestigious engagements listed for the air chief is a speech to the Rand Corporation’s meeting on an American think- tank dealing with the security scenario in South Asia, besides exclusive discussions on Indo-Pak relations.

The air chief’s visit is in consonance with the several other steps that have been taken by the two countries in fine tuning technology transfers between them.

For instance, presently a defence delegation headed by the defence secretary, Yogendra Singh, is in the United States for talks on the purchase of weapon locating radars which are expected to be received by 2004.

Clearance for the deals were obtained at a series of discussions with Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Assistant Secretary of State Richard Armitage during their recent visits to India.

Following these visits, cooperation between the two countries has covered extensive ground. For instance, there were joint naval exercises on policing the sea shores along the Malacca Straits.