India, Feb. 3 -- Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has faced criticism for his "absurd political attacks" in the wake of deadly Black Hawk and American Airlines Flight 5342 collision in Washington, DC, which claimed the lives of three soldiers and 67 others.

Investigations are being conducted to find out what caused the crash, which is now regarded as the greatest US aviation tragedy in nearly 25 years.

Hegseth, who backed President Donald Trump's contentious claim that diverse hiring practices were to blame for the deadly incident, said: "The environment around which we choose pilots or air traffic controllers, as the president pointed out correctly yesterday, better be the highest standard."

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's former chief...