India signs key defence deal with US amid China standoff

In wake of standoff with China in Himalayan region, India has signed a military agreement with the United States on sharing sensitive satellite data.

The access to such information is considered vital for hitting missiles, drones and other targets with precision.

The deal was announced after the meeting between Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh with his American counterpart Mark Esper, who is in India along with the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for the India-US 2+2 meeting to be held tomorrow.

"Over [the] last two decades, our bilateral relationship has grown steadily in its substance, facets and significance," BBC quoted Jaishankar.

He added that the talks would enable the two countries to "engage much more intensively on matters of national security".

The Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) on Geospatial Cooperation is among the few deals that the US signs with close partners. The deal allows India access to a range of sensitive geospatial and aeronautical data that is crucial for military action.

Two countries also signed other deals in fields of nuclear energy, earth sciences and alternative medicine. But BECA is the most significant deal among them.

It is worth to mention here that, India is locked in one of its most hostile standoffs with China along their disputed border in the Himalayan region. As many as 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a clash that erupted between troops on both sides in June.