The United States will have hectic business with India and Pakistan next year in which it is expected to finalise the landmark civilian nuclear agreement with New Delhi and sell F-16 fighter aircraft to Islamabad.
The Bush adminstration would also negotiate a $5 billion deal for multi-role combat jet fighters and a state-of- the-art radar sytem with India, while a $230 million weapons deal is in cards for Pakistan.
Though the US administration has the "political will" and "muscle" to push through the civilian nuclear deal with India, analysts say the campaign to clinch it before President George W Bush's India visit in early 2006 has lost its steam.
There have been only three hearings on the subject in the US Congress and the next one will not take place before the first week of February when lawmakers return from recess. The administration would have to have "something concrete" on the nuclear deal before sending it to the US Congress, experts say.
It means some movement must be ensured in the contentious separation of the Indian nuclear programme.
Foraying into the Indian 'strategic' market, the US is putting Lockheed Martin and Boeing in the forefront of the bidding for 130 multi-role combat jet fighters with a potential price tag of at least $5 billion.
Washington has made it known that New Delhi can go with Lockheed and opt for F-16s or acquire more sophisticated F-18As of the Boeing Company.
Once the deal is finalised, Indian pilots and maintenance staff would undergo US training. "Their pilots (will) come to our schools. We'll train with them. We will work very closely with their maintenance technicians," Lt Gen Jeffrey Kohler, head of Pentagon's Defence Security Cooperation Agency, has said in a recent interview.
Complete coverage: The Indo-US nuclear tango
