US Senate passes $716bn bill seeking enhanced defence ties with India

The US Senate today passed a USD 716 billion defence bill with an overwhelming majority. This bill seeks to strengthen ties with the US' 'major defence partner' India.

The National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) 2019, passed by a bipartisan vote of 85-10, is named in the honour of Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, who is battling cancer for the past several months.

"This legislation continues our reform agenda and helps better position the Department of Defence and the joint force to implement the National Defence Strategy by continuing to restore readiness, rebuild capacity and modernise capabilities," McCain said.

The House has already passed the bill.

Once the joint committee agrees on an identical version, they would have to be voted by the House and the Senate again before being sent to the White House for US President Donald Trump's assent.

The bill "expresses the sense of the Senate that the US should strengthen and enhance its major defence partnership with India".

The US recognised India as a "major defence partner" in 2016, a designation that allows India to buy more advanced and sensitive technologies from the US at par with that of its closest allies and partners, and ensures enduring cooperation in the future.