US Senator pushes for sale of guardian drones to India

Washington: A top US Senator has strongly pushed for selling high-tech Predator Guardian drones to India for maritime surveillance, especially in the Indian Ocean, as part of the growing bilateral defence collaboration.

Democrat Senator Mark Warner and his Republican colleague in the Senate Dan Sullivan said that the erstwhile Obama administration and the Congress designating India as a major defence partner is a significant step forward in taking the bilateral ties to the next level.

While they were strong on Indo-US cooperation in Asia-Pacific region, in particular, the South China Sea, both appeared to be quite soft to when it came to India's interest with regard to terrorists' safe havens in Pakistan which has been responsible for a number of terrorist attacks from across the border.

Senator Sullivan argued the case for joint military operation by India and the US in areas of common interest. India has notably shown reluctance to such a proposal from the US so far.

Warner, who is Co-Chair of the Senate India caucus and Ranking member of powerful Senate Select Committee on Intelligence expressed his displeasure of the bureaucracy from the US State Department and Department of Defense in selling the drones to India which has requested for its purchase for maritime surveillance, especially in the Indian Ocean.

"I have been frustrated with the Defence and State Department in terms of the sale of Guardian drones. This is going to be the next great thing of defence collaboration," Warner said, as he expressed his disappointment over what he said India's inability to absorb the requirement of 30 percent offset.

"Major Defence Partnership" which he said moves India into the category of non-NATO type ally, "is a great step in the right direction". "Actually this (Major Defence Partner) status is unique to India. The idea is to actually institutionalise (the relationship)," Sullivan said at the Widrow Wilson Center, a top American think-tank.

Responding to a question on Pakistan, Warner said while India and the US have a very strong relationship between the intelligence community, there is an enormous concern not only about Pakistan's role in the unrest in Kashmir, but also the terrorist organisations from Pakistan.

Warner said that it is in the best interest of Pakistan not to differentiate between different groups of terrorists.

Praising India's patience, Warner said India today has risen to a place where it sees itself as a major international partner. "I want to send a strong message that Pakistan can't play both ways, supporting one group of terrorists on one hand and taking action against the others," he said.

Sullivan said there is always an area of common interest with India. "I believe we can have a strong relationship with both the countries particularly in the area of international terrorism," he added.