“Relationships with our Pacific and Indian Ocean allies are crucial to maintaining regional stability,” US Defense Secretary James Mattis said. “In recognition of the expanding connectivity between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, today we rename the US Pacific Command to US Indo-Pacific Command.”
Indian Military Base in Sabang, Indonesia can Strangle China at the Strait of Malacca
US Defense Secretary James Mattis announced the renaming at the change of command ceremony in Hawaii, where Admiral Philip Davidson took over the responsibilities from Admiral Harry Harris, stated to be the next American ambassador to South Korea.
The US government under Donald Trump is aggressively persuading Indian to choose between Washington or Moscow as the primary defence partner. Russia, as of now remains India’s biggest and most trusted arms supplier.
As New Delhi looks to broaden its arms purchases, the US is rapidly expanding its arms sales to India, emerging as India’s second-biggest arms supplier. Washington provided about 15% of weapons to India, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
While Washington has sold $15 billion worth of weapons to India over the past decade, Delhi has also balanced its relations with traditional ally Russia by purchasing strategic weapons including from jet fighters, submarines and aircraft carrier.
Booming US-India Ties Creates Platform for Strong Russia-Pakistan Relations?
At present, India-US relations are under stern test as Washington is dissuading Delhi from going ahead with procurement of S-400 air defence systems from Russia. According to House Armed Services Committee chairman Mac Thornberry – The purchase would “complicate interoperability” with US forces and “limit the degree with which the United States will feel comfortable in bringing additional technology” into India.
If India goes ahead to procure Russian S-400 Air Defence Systems, this could endanger India-US Defence Relations and the first casualty would be advanced Predator drones, Thornberry warned.
