The United States Senate has passed a legislative provision that will bring India at par with America's NATO allies and countries like Israel and South Korea for increasing defence cooperation.
The National Defense Authorisation Act or NDAA for the fiscal year 2020, that contained the proposal was passed by the US Senate last week.
Introduced by Senate India Caucus Co-Chair Senator John Cornyn with the support of Senate India Caucus Co-Chair Senator Mark Warner, the amendment provides for increased US-India defence cooperation in the Indian Ocean in the areas of humanitarian assistance, counter-terrorism, counter-piracy and maritime security.
The bill will be signed into law after both chambers of the US Congress – the House of Representatives and the Senate – passes it. The House is expected to take up its version of the NDAA sometime in July before legislators adjourn for the month-long August recess on July 29.
The US recognised India as a "Major Defence Partner" in 2016, a designation that allows India to buy more advanced and sensitive technologies from America at par with that of the US' closest allies and partners.