Cameron arrived at Andrews Air Force Base, near Washington just before 2pm local time on Tuesday, British media reported.
The Whitehouse Head of Protocol greeted Cameron and his wife Samantha as they walked along the red carpet.
Before the plane landed, the Union Jack flag was the wrong way up in the hands of the marines, although it was swiftly turned around when it was noticed.
Cameron made his first official visit to the US as prime minister in July 2010.
Central to Cameron’s visit is Afghanistan and US president Barak Obama and Cameron are expected to agree that Afghan forces should take over a lead combat role by mid-2013.
In the wake of the killing of 17 civilians by a U.S. trooper and the deaths of six British troops, the pair will use White House talks to sketch out plans that will see troops step back from the front line in as little as 12 months.
While they are anxious to avoid any impression that they are ‘cutting and running’, the events of the last fortnight have increased pressure on them to clarify the timetable for withdrawal.
In a joint article for Washington Post, Cameron and Obama insist the mission must go on – but confirm they intend to see the Afghans take ‘full responsibility’ for security by 2014.
“We’re proud of the progress our troops have made in dismantling Al Qaeda, breaking the Taliban’s momentum and training Afghan forces,” the two leaders write.
The two leaders are expected to urge the Taliban to lay down their weapons and engage in political dialogue to give the country a chance of peaceful progress.
Critics, however, said the U.S. and the UK must now drop pre-conditions about who they were prepared to talk to in negotiations over Afghanistan’s future.
MOL/HN/HE
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