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Chief of U.S. Air Force General David L. Goldfein has said Indian and U.S. air forces will significantly ramp up operational cooperation to complement the strategic interests of the two countries in the Indo-Pacific region.

Details of the visit

• Calling India a “central strategic partner” of the U.S. in pursuing common interests in the region, he said two of the world’s largest air forces were going to jointly shift the focus on the Indo-Pacific region and asserted that the rules-based order must be preserved in the critical sea lanes.
• Gen. Goldfein, who held extensive talks with Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa and the top brass of the defence set-up during his three-day India visit that ended on February 3, said the “Quadrilateral” coalition among the U.S., India, Japan and Australia would provide for deeper cooperation between the Indian and American air forces.
• The expanding military influence of china in the region has been a concern for the countries.
• In November, India, the U.S., Australia and Japan gave shape to the long-pending “Quadrilateral cooperation” to develop a new strategy to keep the critical sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free of Chinese influence.

Source

The Hindu