US welcomes India's decision to acquire 10 C-17 Globemaster

The US, which was unhappy after failing in the bid for the 126 combat planes, on Tuesday welcomed India's decision to acquire ten Boeing C-17 Globemaster III aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

The Cabinet Committee on Security had yesterday cleared the acquisition of 10 C-17s from the US under a USD 4.1 billion government-to-government deal for enhancing IAF''s strategic airlift capabilities.

"The sale captures the mutual benefits of the US-India global partnership. For India, the sale adds strategic and humanitarian muscle to its defense needs. The sale grows and sustains 23,000 thousand jobs in America," US Ambassador to India Timothy J Roemer said.

The US had expressed its disappointment after two of its companies including Boeing and Lockheed Martin were declared out of IAF''s contract for acquiring 126 Medium-Multirole Combat Aircraft (M-MRCA) competition.

The IAF has shortlisted two European aircraft including the Eurofighter Typhoon and the French Dassault Rafale for the tender.

"The C-17 deal will further strengthen the strategic ties between the US and Indian armed forces, leading to enhanced cooperation for a safer and more secure region and world," he said.

Terming the sale as in indication of the growing ties between the two countries, the US Ambassador said, "From joint training exercises to defense sales and ship visits, the US is committed to sharing expertise and cutting-edge technology with India, and to do so in a way that has economic benefits for both the countries."