India, US now strategic partners: Gen. J J Singh

Bangalore, Nov 24 (UNI) Chief of Army Staff General J J Singh today said India and the United States are now exchanging information on transforming their armies for the future.

Speaking to newspersons after presenting Presidential Colours to the Pioneer Corps, headquartered here, he said he visited that country recently as part of military to military exchange of leadership and had studied in detail how the US was modernising their army with futuristic equipments and how it equipped itself for a low intensity conflict.

Commenting on the strategic relationship between the two countries he said ''exchange of visits is happening at a high level and bilateral relations is being expanded in all dimensions of strategic understanding. We have so far held four joint military exchanges at platoon and company levels''. ''As per the road map drawn we will progressively upgrade this to battalion level. We are also planning to exchange military courses,' 'he added.

Gen Singh said the US Army was trying out new equipments and weapons. He also got an update about the US army's experiments in Iraq and Afghanistan, he added.

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