Statement by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III:
The men and women of the Department of Defense stand by our Indian partners in their hour of need. We are in this fight together.
To that end, I have directed the Department to use every resource at our disposal, within our authority, to support U.S. interagency efforts to rapidly provide India’s frontline healthcare workers with the materials they need. We are currently assessing the equipment we can both procure and draw from our own inventory in the coming days and weeks.
In the next few days, we will provide transportation and logistics assistance to deliver needed supplies to India, including oxygen-related equipment, rapid testing kits, and personal protective equipment.
We will continue to work closely with other U.S. agencies and Departments, as well as with industry, to support our Indian partners in their effort to combat this outbreak.