India eyes U.S. aircraft carrier technology as arms ties deepen

Ashton Carter, U.S. President Barack Obama's nominee to be secretary of defense, testifies before a Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, February 4, 2015. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India wants to use state-of-the-art U.S. technology to boost the range and potency of a planned aircraft carrier, defence sources said, a move that would tie their arms programmes closer together and counter China's military influence in the region.

The proposal, referred to only obliquely in a joint statement at the end of President Barack Obama's recent visit to New Delhi, is the clearest signal yet that Washington is ready to help India strengthen its navy.