SpArK
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- May 5, 2010
- Messages
- 22,519
- Reaction score
- 18
- Country
- Location
MoD, Navy and Air chiefs object to US defence pact
Serious differences have cropped up on some of the key pending defence agreements with the US with the Air Chief and the Naval Chief officially conveying to the Defence Ministry that there is not much to be gained by signing the Logistics Support Agreement (LSA) as well as the Communications, Interoperability and Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA).
The Defence Ministry, too, is said to have shared its concerns at the highest levels that signing these agreements will send a negative signal to other important defence partners, particularly Russia.
Washington was pushing for these two agreements the first on using each others bases and the second on interoperability but sources said both sides are now likely to announce setting up of a bilateral technical group for further consultations on these agreements during US President Barack Obamas visit.
In fact, none of the defence deals with the US that have been in the works will be announced during the visit. However, Obama will be given assurances in private conversations that deals like the C-17 aircraft are in the works and would be concluded soon. Government sources said the US had to make certain revisions in the letter of the agreement for the C-17 aircraft and, hence, the process got delayed.
The LSA and the CISMOA are emerging as the main hurdle in the Indo-US defence relationship. The US has termed the LSA a housekeeping agreement which would mean that US ships and aircraft while moving across continents can be serviced in Indian bases where an inventory would be maintained. The arrangement would be reciprocal.
The Defence Ministry is learnt to have raised the point that the US is likely to use Indian bases much more than Indian ships or aircraft utilizing American bases. The frequent movement of US ships and aircraft, according to the Defence Ministry, could convey a different political impression to Indias other strategic partners and may not serve the national interest depending on the context. The argument is that India should not bind itself by these agreements.
Washington is said to have provided a revised text making a distinction between using these facilities in combat and non-combat situations. This too has not found favour with the Defence Ministry, which is of the view that it would be very difficult to make such distinctions if live action is in another theatre but Indian facilities are being used. The point being made is that such agreements would limit Indias political options in tricky situations.
On CISMOA, too, the key issue for the Defence Ministry and the Armed Forces is interoperability. The question being asked is whether interoperability with NATO forces is desirable. While Russia has not directly taken up the issue with India, it keeps making the point at various levels that Russia does not sell military hardware to Pakistan.
In the various inter-ministerial discussions on this issue, the broad point from the Defence Ministry has been that India is not a military ally of the United States and hence it does not need such interoperability. While in favour of developing the partnership further and benefiting from US military industry, the Defence Ministry wants to keep its distance from any such agreement that, it feels, has larger political ramifications.
On being repeatedly told that not signing these agreements would adversely affect military purchases as the US would not be able to provide hi-tech ancillary equipment, the Defence Ministry asked the the two forces currently affected by this the Navy and the Air Force. The view from them is that much of this equipment can be obtained from elsewhere and some others are needed.
The third agreement, the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) for Geo-Spatial Navigation, is still under consideration as it was brought up much later. India, it may be noted, has already finalised an end-user monitoring agreement.
MoD, Navy and Air chiefs object to US defence pact
