India military ties can alter world power dynamics: US thinktank

[Cherokee]

WASHINGTON: Suggesting that the US relationship with India has the potential to alter the power dynamics in Asia and the world, a leading US think tank has proposed a deeper military engagement between two countries.

This "can have a range of strategic benefits, including the enhancement of military capabilities, building long-term professional relationships, as well as strategic signalling to allies, partners, and potential adversaries," says a new report by the Wadhwani chair in US-India Policy Studies at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

In the case of US-India military ties, the relationship has witnessed elements of all three benefits in a short period of time, says the report entitled "US-India Military Engagement: Steady as They Go", noting India now conducts more exercises with the United States than with any other country in the world.

Authored by S. Amer Latif, a visiting fellow with the Wadhwani Chair, the report examines the current state of bilateral military relations and puts forward a series of recommendations to strengthen these ties.

However, there are limits to how far military engagement can go over the next 5 to 10 years given a number of challenges that exist, the report says noting "both sides have yet to develop a common strategic end state that defines their relationship."

"Part of the problem lies in India's reluctance to become too closely entwined with the United States due to its foreign policy orientation of 'strategic autonomy,' which eschews excessively close relations with any single power," it says.

At a practical level, this approach hinders the development of interoperability between the military services since the concept carries a connotation of an alliance-like relationship within India, the report says.

Despite the range of obstacles to deeper cooperation, there are several practical steps both sides can take to continue building on their recent record of strengthening military cooperation, it says.

As India's power and confidence grow in the coming years, bilateral expectations and engagement can adjust accordingly, the report suggests.

"However, much more could be accomplished if both sides apply themselves and remove the current obstacles to military cooperation."

"With the twenty-first century poised to be an Asian one, the United States and India now have an opportunity to develop a relationship that will not only create a stable and secure environment for each other, but the larger Indo-Pacific region as well," the report concludes.

 

[rockstarIN]

Give us TOT of F-22 and F-18 Growler...will think about it.

Well, we are not going align too much to any power. We should have the right to say 'NO' to anybody at any given point of time.

 

[fast and furious]

Me cosy in ma Lazy Boy Chair.
Me luvin my butter Popcorn.
Me Soda chilling.
Me Enjoying the Show.

 

[AGENT 47]

Its history of USA, who only thinks its own profit.
So we have to stick with our own Policy.

 

[lilaspr]

I think India and US strategic partnership is bound to happen, doesn't matter how much India resist. Its not only good for India and U.S. - also a solution for Australia, Singapore, Japan, South Korea and if not all few ASEAN countries.
It's win win for all.

 

[jeypore]

Can India Emerge As A Top Global Military Power?

A recent study by Britain's ministry of defence has predicted that India is likely to be among the top three military powers in the world by 2045, along with the US and China, with a projected defence outlay of $654 billion. Though India's military-industrial acumen is unlikely to surpass technological sophistication of the US by 2045, it may, along with China, rival it in terms of size. It is also likely to surpass Japan, Australia and South Korea (which will be ahead of other regional military powers) by developing sizeable and technically advanced armed forces, including ocean-going navies, capable of delivering an enduring and capable maritime presence both regionally and further afield, according to the study titled 'Global Strategic Trends - Out to 2045'.

This projection explains why the Narendra Modi government is aggressively pushing its defence agenda. Recently the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) cleared purchases worth Rs 80,000 crore, including six submarines worth Rs 50,000 crore. DAC also approved purchase of 8,356 Spike anti-tank guided missiles and 321 launchers from Israel. Modi's reaction to the recent Pakistan-engineered skirmish on the Kashmir border—which resulted in the death of hordes of civilians besides forcing hundreds of villages to flee their homes as troops exchanged fire in perhaps the worst violence in the region in a decade—also amply demonstrated that India is posed to strongly defend its borders and foil any peer attempt aimed at weakening its military might. Modi not only asked the army to retaliate befittingly, but warned Pakistan that its military infiltration may cost the neighbour more than what it imagines. Pakistan's subsequent retreat showed that it was sort of taken aback by the strong, calculated response from the Indian side. India's 'retaliation response' to Pakistan followed its equally strong reaction during the recent border standoff with Chinese forces that overshadowed Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to India aimed at deepening commercial ties between the two countries. The Modi government also unveiled plans to build 54 more border posts in Arunachal Pradesh and strengthen Indo-Tibetan Border Police, which guards the Indo-China border. In another geopolitical move, India said it will supply naval vessels to Vietnam and help it modernise its defence system during the India visit of Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. All these recent moves are early signs of India's determination to strengthen its defence prowess and slowly emerge a top military power globally.

While the US will continue to be a key partner in India's quest to emerge a global military power, as reflected by the Modi government's recent decision to acquire Boeing's Chinook and Apache helicopters in a deal worth $2.5 billion, what is more important is India's growing defence alliance with Israel. The fact India chose to buy anti-tank guided missiles worth $670 million from Israel, rejecting a rival US offer despite US Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel's 'unprecedented' offer to co-develop and co-produce US' Javelin missiles in India during his recent India visit, reinforces that Israel is likely to be a crucial defence ally for India going ahead.



A key feature of Modi's government's defence strategy is to indigenously develop military equipment as part of its broad 'Make in India' strategy—the decision to build six submarines in India at a cost of about Rs 50,000 crore is a clear deviation from the hitherto followed strategy of sourcing military equipment from outside. However, the government will find it difficult to convince the top honchos of armed forces which want sophisticated, ready-to-use foreign weaponry, than trying to develop it locally which may involve a lot of time and effort. The Modi government also has to keep lobbyists for foreign manufacturers of defence equipment at abeyance.

While study by the Britain's ministry of defence portrayed a bullish future for India as a military power, it warned that the country has to "overcome domestic political issues and improve the way it invests to attain the capabilities needed to project conventional military power globally". One hopes that PM Modi is listening.
Can India Emerge As A Top Global Military Power? | Business Insider India