WASHINGTON: The Trump administration has told the US Congress that it "strongly supports" the sale of F-18 and F-16 fighter jets to India and asserted that the proposals have the potential to take Indo-US defence ties to the next level. Alice Wells, acting assistant secretary of state for the South and Central Asian Affairs, told a Congressional Subcommittee in a written submission that defence cooperation with India would be an important pillar in the bilateral relationship as it needs New Delhi to be the net security provider in the Indo-Pacific region.
These proposals have the potential to take India- US defence relationship to the next level, the official said." She highlighted that the region serves as the fulcrum of global trade and commerce, with nearly half of the world's 90,000 commercial vessels, many sailing under the US flag, and two-thirds of traded oil travelling through the region.
Wells is also scheduled to testify before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific on "Maintaining US Influence in South Asia: The FY 2018 Budget". She said in her submission that the Indo-Asia Pacific region is also home to nearly half of the planet's population and some of the fastest growing economies in the world.
