India is set to give final approval to a $2.6 billion deal for military helicopters from US defence firm Lockheed Martin ahead of a visit by US President Donald Trump this month, defence and industry sources said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is trying to pull out all the stops for President Trump’s trip in a bid to reaffirm strategic ties between the two countries, which have been buffeted by sharp differences over trade, to counter China.
India’s defence purchases from the United States have reached $17 billion since 2007 as it has pivoted away from traditional supplier Russia, looking to modernise its military and narrow the gap with China. Read More…
