New Delhi, June 5
India will make it clear to the US that it will not accept any request to physically inspect the defence equipment US sells to Indian armed forces in the future. This is one of the critical clauses in the upcoming End-User Verification Agreement (EUVA) that the two countries are about to finalise.

The Ministry of Defence has shot down a proposal of the US government that said that it was mandatory under the US laws to have physical inspections of the military equipment to prevent misuse. Well-placed sources in the Defence Ministry said a fresh draft of the agreement had been exchanged between the two countries. There was no question of allowing an “intrusive inspections” in forward areas or bases as this would leave “us a bit vulnerable”, said a senior functionary. The US is free to see the accountability record on paper.

The US is aiming to sell several critical items to India like fighter airplanes, transport planes and armoured choppers. All future defence supplies from the US hinge on the EUVA. The basic concern of the US with regard to the critical defence equipment it sells to India is that it should be used only for the purpose of armed forces operations, internal security, legitimate self-defence and civic action.

The matter will come up for discussion during US Under Secretary William Burns' visit here from June 10 to 13, the sources confirmed while adding that the Ministry of External Affairs was dealing with the subject. The view of the defence side has been conveyed. The sources said the “political sensitivities” and adverse reactions to allow any such US inspection would also be conveyed.

“Ideally, we will not want this clause. We do not have such agreements with other countries, except for an undertaking. The US has this law and concerns of both sides which will be factored into the final EUVA draft, “sources said.

India also wants that there should be standard format for the verification agreement, which can be appended to any defence deal in the future instead of having to get the verification cleared separately for each deal. Secondly, India is insisting that any change in the US laws in the future should not be applied with retrospective affect on the purchases made earlier.

After the EUVA is signed, India is looking to sign the Communication Interoperability and the Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA) and Logistics Support Agreement in that order, the sources said.

“Ideally, we will not want this clause. We do not have such agreements with other countries, except for an undertaking. The US has this law and concerns of both sides which will be factored into the final EUVA draft, “sources said.

India also wants that there should be standard format for the verification agreement, which can be appended to any defence deal in the future instead of having to get the verification cleared separately for each deal. Secondly, India is insisting that any change in the US laws in the future should not be applied with retrospective affect on the purchases made earlier.