(Image source from: Pentagon creates special cell to speed up defense ties with India})

Pentagon has formed a first-ever country specific special cell to speed up its defense ties with India and accelerate the process of co-development and co-production of hi-tech military equipment in the country. This is formed after Defence Secretary Ashton Carter assumed Pentagon's leadership role in February. India Rapid Reaction Cell (IRRC) is headed by Keith Webster, Director, International Cooperation Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics.

"The purpose of India Rapid Reaction Cell is to work all the initiatives that we have ongoing under (India-US) DTTI (Defence Trade and Technology Initiative), both the initiatives that for example came out of the joint statement between the (US) President and the Prime Minister in January (in New Delhi) to move quickly and timely and be through, which in my opinion requires dedicated support to ramp up the operational tempo," Webster said.

"Statistically, such a negotiation between US and India which was done before many times takes on an average a year and half to three years. We were done within three months on the US side with India," he said.

"We are embarking on some new initiatives and the operational tempo is not declining at all," he said.

By Premji