A potential deal would also be a boon for U.S. production support jobs; the F-16 manufacturing line is likely to shut down in 2017 without new orders. Further, in addition to coproducing the fighter jets, the Indian military would then need American partners for the training and exercises necessary for their deployment, deepening the infrastructure of U.S.-Indian defense cooperation. There is already precedent for such a deal: Lockheed has partnered with Indian industry giant Tata to coproduce the C-130 military transport craft. F-16 and F-18 fighter jets are a significantly more complex and, owing to their lethality, sensitive undertaking, but one that could yield tremendous benefits for both countries.

Following Prime Minister Modi’s capstone visit to the United States, President Obama is uniquely positioned in history to solidify the trajectory of U.S.-Indian relations well into the next administration. While a long-term formal strategic alliance is by no means a sure thing, he should signal to the prime minister that the United States is willing to take the steps India seeks in the short term. U.S. policymakers will need the faith that these confidence-building measures can enable India to act as functionally a limited ally, even while maintaining the veneer of nonalignment. The potential jet deal provides a model for how America can best engage with India to strengthen strategic defense cooperation throughout the full spectrum of tools in the arsenal. It approaches India on its own terms, with real payoffs to the United States. It provides a short-term win for both countries, and lays the foundation for a more intricate—though not necessarily explicit—functional alliance.

Katherine Kidder is a Fellow at the Center for a New American Security, and a doctoral candidate in Security Studies at Kansas State University focusing on U.S.-South Asia Policy. Harry Krejsa is the Asia-Pacific Security Research Associate at the Center for a New American Security where he studies security cooperation in Asia. Mr. Krejsa has led political and security consultancies in South and Southeast Asia and is a Mandarin speaker.

Image: President Barack Obama toasts Prime Minister Naredra Modi. WhiteHouse.gov/Pete Souza