US Army chief apprised of Indian strategies

Days after the Cabinet approved a new mountain strike corps for China border, India shared its “strategic perspective” with a top US general who met the defence minister and Army chief here on Wednesday.

US Army chief General Raymond T Odierno met his counterpart General Bikram Singh at the latter's office in the South Block, during which General Odierno was given a 20-minute presentation on “India's strategic perspective”, which involved India's security analysis of the Af-Pak region and China, reliable sources told Deccan Herald.

The US general on Thursday will travel to the northern command in Udhampur, where he is likely to receive yet another military assessment on the regional security scenario from its commander Lt Gen Sanjiv Chachra.

India's strategic perspective revolves mainly around its western border (Pakistan), eastern border (China) and the sea lanes. Traditionally, India has been well prepared against Pakistan, but of late the focus has shifted towards China.

Incidentally, India's senior-most military officer and Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne had  said on Tuesday, “The complementary strengths of India and the United States provide a solid foundation for developing mutually beneficial strategic responses in the 21st century.”

Browne is on an official tour in the US, where he has met top officials from the US air force and military establishment. He received the second C-17 Globemaster — a heavy-lift strategic aircraft that India is purchasing from Boeing in a government-to-government contract.

India purchased 10 C-17 carriers from the US in a $4.1-billion deal to become the aircraft's largest operator outside the US.

“The C-17's enhanced reach and versatility will support operations in an extremely challenging terrain that spans from the Himalayas in the north, where we have bases at an altitude of 11,000-13,000 ft, to the Indian Ocean region in the south,” said the IAF chief.