Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter traveled to India from Sept. 16-18, where he met with senior Indian officials and U.S. and Indian defense industry leaders. The visit was Dr. Carter's second to India while serving as deputy secretary, and completes an overseas trip that also included visits to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
In his meetings with Indian National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon, Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh, and Defense Secretary Radha Krishna Mathur, Deputy Secretary Carter reiterated that the United States and India are destined to be partners on the world stage due to their shared common values and outlooks on a wide range of issues.
Deputy Secretary Carter discussed with Indian officials the forthcoming meeting in Washington, D.C. between President Obama and Prime Minister Singh and steps toward deepening the multifaceted U.S.-Indian defense relationship. They held in-depth consultations on the ongoing political and security transitions in Afghanistan and other regional security issues, common multilateral engagements, joint military exercises, and the significant and growing defense trade between the two countries. They discussed steps the United States and India are taking to streamline their respective administrative processes and make bilateral defense trade more responsive and effective.
In addition to these meetings, Deputy Secretary Carter visited Hindan Air Force Station, where he was briefed by Indian Air Force pilots on India's co-produced C-130J's and recently procured C-17's. He also hosted a meeting of senior representatives from the U.S. and Indian defense industries focused on additional steps the United States can take to remove barriers to bilateral defense trade.
