US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor has underlined that Washington does not simply sell its most advanced military equipment to every country, but reserves such cooperation for trusted partners like India, India Today reported.

He emphasised that the United States believes it possesses the best equipment and the most advanced technology, and sees working with India as an incredible opportunity built on trust.

Gor stated that the defence relationship between the two nations is not merely about sales but is anchored in trust.

He explained that India is among the select countries Washington trusts, and this trust forms the foundation of deeper military cooperation. He highlighted that the partnership goes well beyond transactions and includes sustained engagement and joint exercises.

He pointed to the Javelin anti-tank missile system and Apache helicopters as examples of the defence cooperation already underway. He noted that Apache helicopters were delivered earlier in the year and that several other items are in progress, reflecting the breadth of defence sales and collaboration between the two countries.

One of the most significant examples of technology transfer, Gor stressed, is the Indian Army’s agreement to acquire the Javelin shoulder-fired anti-tank missile system.

Following the signing of the Letter of Offer and Acceptance for the Javelin system, TATA Advanced Systems Limited entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Javelin Joint Venture, a partnership between Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, to explore co-production of the Javelin All Up Round in India.

Under this MoU, the companies will explore establishing a facility for final assembly and integration of the Javelin AUR, along with component production capabilities in India. This initiative is expected to bring critical assembly expertise and knowledge transfer into India’s defence industrial ecosystem, strengthening self-reliance in defence manufacturing and enhancing operational readiness.

Gor emphasised that defence ties cannot be reduced to transactions alone. He explained that the relationship is also anchored in military exercises and the trust built through sustained engagement. India conducts more military exercises with the United States than with any other country, he said, citing the upcoming bilateral UDAWAS exercise in Rajasthan as an example of the growing cooperation.

He reiterated that India has more military exercises with the United States than with any other nation, underscoring the trust and confidence Washington places in New Delhi. He added that defence cooperation is an area Washington will continue to expand and deepen.

The US envoy also linked the strength of the relationship to the personal rapport between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He described their friendship as genuine and said it is another factor underpinning the broader defence and strategic relationship between the two countries.

This trust-based partnership, Gor concluded, represents a major step forward in US-India defence ties, combining advanced technology transfer, co-production initiatives, and sustained military engagement to build a stronger and more resilient security architecture in the Indo-Pacific.

Agencies