IAF chief AP Singh holds talks with US counterpart to boost defence ties
Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal A P Singh and US Air Force Chief of Staff Gen Ken Wilsbach held wide-ranging talks in Washington to deepen defence cooperation.Singh received a full honours arrival at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling on April 8 before holding meetings at the Pentagon with Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink and Gen Wilsbach.
“It was an honour to host Air Chief Marshal AP Singh for this important counterpart visit,” Wilsbach said.“Throughout his day at the Pentagon, we had great discussions focused on modernisation efforts, future training opportunities and our shared commitment to a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Wilsbach said, as quoted by PTI.During the meetings, senior leaders of the Department of the Air Force highlighted the importance the United States places on its defence partnership with India, emphasising its central role in ensuring a free, open, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.Wilsbach praised India’s leadership and participation in multilateral exercises and stressed that expanding such cooperation remains key to enhancing regional deterrence. He also welcomed India’s procurement of MQ-9B Sky Guardian aircraft and underlined the US Air Force’s commitment to ensuring the Indian Armed Forces can effectively operate the platform upon delivery. He further noted the benefits of defence industrial collaboration in supporting the Indian Air Force’s modernisation efforts.
“Opportunities like this are crucial for building our joint interoperability and strengthening the strategic partnership between our air forces,” Singh was quoted as saying in a US Air Force statement.As part of his visit, Singh travelled to Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado, where he received briefings on the binational North American Aerospace Defence Command mission, including aerospace warning, aerospace control and maritime warning for North America.He also visited Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, where he attended briefings at the US Air Force Warfare Centre and undertook a familiarisation flight in an F-15EX Eagle II.The visit concluded with staff talks covering topics such as the National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Programme, the Air National Guard’s Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Centre, and full-spectrum MQ-9 operations.
