General Nirmal Chandra Vij is expected to meet the vice-chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Peter Pace, and US Army Chief General Peter Schoomaker, during his visit March 11-12, a defence ministry official said.

Relations between the two countries have improved sharply from the days of the Cold War.

Last month, India and the United States pitted their war jets against each other over central India in the first-ever aerial combat games between the two nations.

Vij's visit is of special significance in light of the Indian Army's expansion drive for its special forces, the defence official said.

New Delhi is keen to get observer status with the US Central Command which oversees US operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Gulf and Central Asia, he said.

India used to tilt toward Cold War ally, Moscow, which still supplies 70 percent of its military hardware, but lately it has been strengthening its military relations with the United States.

They resumed joint military training in 2002 after Washington lifted sanctions imposed on India after New Delhi held nuclear tests in 1998.

WAR.WIRE