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Towards colser strategic cooperation
THE INKING OF the bilateral agreement on military information exchange underlines sharply that strategic cooperation between India and the United States is rapidly assuming a new and extremely significant dimension. The agreement, under which both sides will share sensitive military information, paves the way for the two countries to embark on a full range of defence cooperation, which suffered a setback after Washington's imposition of military sanctions following the Pokhran nuclear tests. The agreement will go a long way in facilitating technology transfer between the two countries. However, while renewed arms deliveries will be an important fallout of the agreement, it is only a part of the sweeping blueprint in defence cooperation that is being unveiled as India and the U.S. prepare to discuss counter-terrorism strategies, begin joint training for special operations and initiate service-to-service exercises.
The agreement, signed between the Defence Minister, George Fernandes, and the U.S. Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, has come at a time when the two countries have made considerable progress in their security relationship. It was only last month that the India-U.S. Defence Policy Group chalked out a road map to radically upgrade strategic ties between the two nations. Apart from the promise that Washington would expedite India's request for certain U.S.-made weapons, the two countries agreed on five specific areas where they would conduct joint training and exercises. The enhanced strategic relationship between the two countries owes in considerable measure to September 11 and its aftermath. India's support of the U.S.-led coalition against terrorism, the lifting of U.S.-imposed sanctions and (perhaps even more importantly) the increased importance of counter-terrorism in the context of global security have deepened and enlarged the relationship between the two countries in a manner which was unimaginable just a few months ago.
In forging closer defence ties with the U.S., India — which for many years was unwilling to sign the General Security Of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) — will be banking on acquiring a wide range of armaments. Mr. Fernandes has not publicly announced a wish list, but — as the statement of the India-U.S. Defence Policy Group noted last month — India's acquisition priorities include multi-mission maritime aircraft, radars and components for jet trainers and high-performance jet engines. The U.S. assurance that licences for some items are in an advanced stage of processing raises the hope that deals for at least some of the equipment that India wants will be closed out quickly.
The two countries have announced that the project for the manufacture of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) has been revived. U.S.-imposed sanctions had virtually stalled the Defence Research and Development Organisation's ambition of building a multi-role fighter — a project that had already been very badly delayed. The U.S.' promise of expeditiously reviewing the supply of modern engines and avionics for the LCA holds out a ray of fresh hope for its development, which has been plagued by a string of problems and hurt the image of the defence research establishment. The U.S. offer of reviving the project might just be what is needed to conclude an experiment which has been both painfully long and extremely embarrassing. India will be looking to hold the U.S. to its promise of moving expeditiously on reviving the LCA project and clearing other pending proposals.
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