India and the US continue to scale up their military cooperation, with their first-ever bilateral tri-Service exercise slated to be held off Vizag and Kakinada on India's Eastern seaboard in November.

Codenamed Exercise Tiger Triumph, it was announced by US President Donald Trump at the 'Howdy Modi' event at Houston on September 22. To begin with, the exercise will focus on large scale humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations.

This will be only the second time that India will be conducting a tri-service engagement with a foreign country after Exercise Indra with Russia in 2017

"The final planning conference for this exercise was concluded last week at Vizag along with representatives of the US Navy and Marine Corps," military sources confirmed.

India and the US have been increasing the complexity of their service-to-service level military exercise. Yudh Abhyas, the Army exercise, concluded recently in the US. The Armies also engage in the Vajra Prahar counter-terror drill. The 2019 edition of the Malabar naval exercise, which also has Japan as a permanent participant since 2015, is starting in Japan on September 25. The Air Forces have been engaging each other in the Cope India series, and India has also been periodically participating at the multilateral Red Flag exercise in the US.

This will be only the second time that India will be conducting a tri-service engagement with a foreign country after Exercise Indra with Russia in 2017.

Another $10 Billion worth of deals are lined up with the US. Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh had indicated recently that among the big ticket deals, the $2.6 Billion contract for 24 MH-60R naval multi-role helicopters will be signed by the end of 2019 on a Foreign Military Sales route

Defence trade between India and the US too has been increasing steadily. An estimated $18 Billion worth of defence deals have been signed with American companies over the last decade. Reports suggest that another $10 Billion worth of deals are lined up with the US. Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh had indicated recently that among the big ticket deals, the $2.6 Billion contract for 24 MH-60R naval multi-role helicopters will be signed by the end of 2019 on a Foreign Military Sales route.

A follow-on order for 10 P8I Poseidon long range maritime reconnaissance aircraft worth an estimated $3 Billion is also being processed. The P8I has emerged as the biggest force multiplier for the Indian Navy.

Six AH-64 Apache attack helicopters worth an estimated $930 Million are also on the anvil. Talks are in progress for 30 missile firing Sea Guardian drones for a reported $2.5 Billion. The National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System to augment the missile shield over New Delhi is also under discussion. The estimated price is close to $ 1 Billion.