India, US Eyeing To Ink $10Bln Worth Of Arms Deals Within Couple Of Years - Reports

New Delhi is planning to strike some $10 billion worth of arms deals with the United States in the next two to three years, local media reported on Monday, citing sources in the defense industry of the south Asian nation

NEW DELHI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th June, 2019) New Delhi is planning to strike some $10 billion worth of arms deals with the United States in the next two to three years, local media reported on Monday, citing sources in the defense industry of the south Asian nation.

The media reports surface as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is set to visit New Delhi from June 25-27 as part of his tour across the region.

A $3 billion contract for the purchase of 10 Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol planes is among the first planned deals.

"The procurement case for the 10 P-8I aircraft was cleared by an [Ministry of Defense] MoD committee last week. It will now be sent for approval to the Defence Acquisitions Council headed by defence minister Rajnath Singh by August," a source said, as quoted by The Times of India.

Other deals under negotiation concern 24MH-60R naval multi-role helicopters ($2.6 billion), six Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopters ($930 million) and the nearly $1 billion worth of the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System over the Indian capital.

These deals as well as waivers for India from the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which target those cooperating with the Russian defense industry sector, are expected to be among the focal points of the talks with Pompeo.

On Friday, the US State Department urged India "to forgo transactions with Russia that risk triggering the CAATSA sanctions," advising news Delhi to "look at alternatives."

The United States along with Russia and Israel are India's largest defense industry partners.