WASHINGTON, March 2 (Xinhuanet) -- The U.S. Defense Department on Thursday offered to sell advanced fighter aircraft and other high-tech arms to India.

    The Pentagon made the announcement during a visit to India by President George W. Bush.

    "The United States is committed to providing state-of-the-art fighter aircraft in response to India's requirements for a multi-role combat aircraft," the Pentagon said in a statement.

    The statement said the Pentagon had indicated its intention to offer both the F-16 and the F-18 combat aircraft to India.

    "It is our goal to help meet India's needs in the defense realm,and to provide important capabilities and technologies that India seeks. We are on a path to accomplish this," it said.

    The Pentagon said its next step was to turn the talk of prospective sales into reality, and the U.S. side was committed to working with India to do this.

    "Where only a few years ago, no one would have talked about the prospects for a major U.S.-India defense deal, today the prospects are promising, whether in the realm of combat aircraft, helicopters, maritime patrol aircraft, or naval vessels," the statement said.

    The Pentagon would also address India's interest in technology transfer and indigenous co-production, it added. Enditem