Antony Blinken, Defence Secretary Austin mourn demise of Gen Rawat

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on Wednesday mourned the demise of India's first Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat in a helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu. My deep condolences on the deaths of Indian Chief of Defence Staff General Rawat, his wife and colleagues who perished in today's tragic accident, Blinken said.
We'll remember Gen. Rawat as an exceptional leader who served his country and contributed to the US-India defence relationship, he said. Defence Secretary Austin said: General Rawat left an indelible mark on the course of the US-India defence partnership and was at the center of the Indian Armed Forces' transformation into a more jointly integrated warfighting organisation.