US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter today said that the defence relationship between America and India, the world's two largest democracies has never been as close it is now. <br/><br/>Mr. Carter said, the US-India defence relationship is the closest it has ever been. He said, through our strategic handshake with America reaching west in the rebalance and India reaching east in what Prime Minister Narendra Modi calls his Act East policy, two nations are exercising together by air, land, and sea like never before. <br/><br/>Mr Carter, who will be in India next week, said this in his address to the Regan National Defence Forum in Simi Valley, California. He said, both countries also have a technological handshake as the US-India Defence Technology and Trade Initiative, grasps hands with Mr Modi's Make in India campaign that is helping the countries move toward more diverse co-development and co-production of weapons systems.<br/>The outgoing US Defence Secretary's last overseas trip includes Japan, India, Israel, Bahrain, Italy and the UK.

US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter today said that the defence relationship between America and India, the world's two largest democracies has never been as close it is now. <br/><br/>Mr Carter, who will be in India next week, said this in his address to the Regan National Defence Forum in Simi Valley, California. The outgoing US Defence Secretary's last overseas trip includes Japan, India, Israel, Bahrain, Italy and the UK. As Mr Carter begins his last overseas tour from the Asia Pacific region, he reflected on the rebalance strategy of President Barack Obama.<br/><br/>The US, he said, has long taken a principled and inclusive approach and collaborated with a network of regional allies and partners to enable security and uphold important principles based on international law.