United States has offered India advanced weapons like Patriot PaC II anti-missile systems and network-centric early warning and battlefield control and command systems.

The offer follows US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's announcement of plans to engage New Delhi in closer strategic partnership.

"We intend to re-draw the strategic map of Indo-US relations," a senior US Embassy official said.

• Pak-China joint production of JF-17 planes launched

In the coming days, External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh will be going to Washington and Commander-in-Chief of the US Pacific Command Admiral William J Fallone will make his maiden trip to India.

Embassy sources said US aviation majors Lockheed Martin and Boeing would aggressively bid for India's plan to buy 126 multi-role combat aircraft.

Officials also said US was committed to a "serious energy dialogue" with India, including civilian use of nuclear energy. They said this issue would receive a boost with the upcoming visit Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyer to Washington.

• Pakistan to get four Chinese frigates

"India and US are both energy deficit countries and a close co-operation in this field is viewed by us as mutually advantageous," they said.

Officials said US viewed its strategic engagement with India in a global context rather than regional.

They said an indication of this was that from nothing in 2000, defence sales between the two countries had shot up to $ 200 million in 2002.