Indo-US defence ties

TWO weeks ahead of PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington, India and the US have finalised a roadmap for defence industrial cooperation to fast-track technology tie-ups and co-produce military platforms such as air combat and land systems. Both sides have agreed to initiate negotiations on the Security of Supply Arrangement and a reciprocal defence procurement pact to promote supply chain stability.

India-US defence ties have made big strides in the past decade or so, thanks to a series of pacts, including the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (2016), which allows their militaries to use each other’s bases for repair and replenishment of supplies; the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (2018), which provides for interoperability between the two militaries and the sale of high-end technology from the US to India; and the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (2020), which provides for sharing of cutting-edge military technology, logistics and geospatial maps.

Notably, despite all these initiatives, the US is third on the list of India’s biggest arms suppliers with a share of 11 per cent, way behind Russia (45 per cent) and France (29 per cent). This indicates that the US has a long way to go to become a bigger stakeholder in India’s defence imports and a greater contributor to the ‘Make in India’ programme. India’s preference for Russian and French manufacturers can be attributed to factors such as reliability, quality control, cost-effectiveness and ease of doing business. Facilitating transfer of technology and spurring indigenous production capabilities in India hold the key to stronger strategic cooperation between India and the US. Amid aggressive posturing by China in the Indo-Pacific, it is hoped that both nations will work harder on removing all impediments to the growth of their defence relations. 

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