IAF chief discusses defence ties with his US counterpart

Washington, Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal A P Singh held discussions with US Air Force Chief of Staff Gen Ken Wilsbach here to advance shared priorities in support of the strong and growing defence partnership between the two countries.

Singh received a full honours arrival at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling here on April 8 and met Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink and Wilsbach at the Pentagon.

In addition to his engagements in the national capital region, Singh visited Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado for briefings centred on the binational North American Aerospace Defence Command mission of aerospace warning, aerospace control and maritime warning for North America, officials said.


The IAF chief also travelled to Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, where the visit included briefings at the US Air Force Warfare Centre and a familiarisation flight in an F-15EX Eagle II, a statement from the US Air Force (USAF) said.

"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 the statement.

During the office calls, Department of the Air Force senior leaders emphasised the priority America places on its defence partnership with India, highlighting its central role in ensuring a free, open, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.

Wilsbach praised India's leadership and participation in multilateral exercises with like-minded partners and stressed how continuing to prioritise and expand such cooperation is key to enhancing regional deterrence.

He also welcomed India's procurement of MQ-9B Sky Guardian aircraft and emphasised the US Air Force commitment to ensuring the Indian Armed Forces can seamlessly and effectively employ the platform upon delivery.

Wilsbach also underscored USAF's readiness to further support IAF's modernisation efforts, noting the mutual benefits of pursuing these goals through defence industrial collaboration.

"It was an honour to host Air Chief Marshal AP Singh for this important counterpart visit," he 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.

The office call was followed by staff talks to discuss topics that included the National Guard Bureau's State Partnership Programme, the Air National Guard's Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Centre, and full-spectrum MQ-9 operations.