The Puzzle of Indo-US Defence Cooperation

With the upward mobility in India-US ties in recent years, defence cooperation between the two open and vibrant democracies has witnessed robust growth. A new sense of pragmatism governs the symbiotic relationship between the countries with strategic ties having steadily moved ahead since 2000. This covers the entire gamut of defence cooperation, including military-to-military interactions, increase in defence trade, maritime security and counter-terrorism.

The evolution of the present accelerated phase of Indo-US defence cooperation began in 2000 when the outgoing Clinton Administration removed various sanctions imposed on India in the aftermath of the 1998 Pokhran II nuclear tests. The process of engaging India took further impetus when President George Bush came to the White House in 2001 and waived sanctions from the ‘Entity List’ thus allowing US business houses to cultivate a long-term defence supply relationship with India.

As a fall out of this executive measure from President Bush that has also continued under the current Obama administration, India was able to lease several US Fire-finding, weapon locating radars, Special Forces equipment including protective gears for chemical and biological weapons, among others. India’s recent purchase of C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, 12 Thales-Raytheon Systems AN/TPQ-37 (V) 3 Firefinder artillery radar, and the USS Trenton, now renamed the INS Jalashwa, for over $3.29 billion are likely to pave the way for further commerce in the defence arena. The other major order with the US is the P-81 long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft order for the Indian Navy signed in 2009 for $2.1 billion. The Indian Air Force is also expected to place an order for upto 10 Boeing C-17 advanced airlift aircraft for over $2.4 billion.

The India-US strategic relationship has also been bolstered by successive military-to-military exercises in India and the US. A notable military exercise in 2009, The Yudh Abhyas 2009 was conducted at Babina, Madhya Pradesh from 12-29 October, under the aegis of HQ Southern Command. The scope of the exercise was to conduct an Indo-US joint training exercise in a semi urban scenario under UNPKO Chapter VII.  In previous years, other military exercises have taken place that has included combined naval patrols in the Straits of Malacca with an eye for preventing acts of piracy in the high seas and for checking narcotics smuggling, special forces airborne training in Agra, ranger exercise conducted in Alaska as well as Indo-US Ballistic Missile Defence Workshop in Colorado Springs, USA.

Furthermore, while US army and disaster relief personnel cooperated with India in the aftermath of tsunami disaster in December 2004, India reciprocated by airlifting supplies to victims of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005.

Certain future areas of convergence being touted by many analysts and media reports are Afghanistan and Iraq. India’s vital contribution in the post-war reconstruction of Afghanistan in accordance with the historic Bonn accord has been well known. India’s strategic interest in enhancing the security environment inside Afghanistan including the building of the Afghan National Army through an intensive training programme was applauded by the Bush Administration which had synchronised the security objectives of the two countries. Similarly, India’s offer to be a part of the UN efforts in the rebuilding and stabilisation of post-war Iraq and its infrastructure has received favorable attention by the Obama administration as the US plans an exit strategy by 2011.

Certain concerns and irritants still remain. During the January 20, 2010 visit of US Defense Secretary Robert Gates to India, India’s defence minister, AK Antony, expressed Indian concerns regarding denial of export licenses for various defence related requirement of the Armed Forces and also regarding the inclusion of some Indian Defence PSUs and DRDO labs in the ‘Entity List’ of the US government. Antony expressed the view that such restrictions were anomalous and counter-productive in the context of the steady improvement in the bilateral defence relations between both countries. He also conveyed the view that the bilateral defence trade relations between India and the USA should move from a purely buyer-seller commercial relationship to a more comprehensive, holistic relationship covering transfer of technology and co-production.

However, it needs to be remembered that as between friends that have stood the test of time, the US and India will continue to have tangible differences and divergent perspectives from time to time while trying to cement areas of cooperation, be it strategic or military, within the framework of a shared partnership.

For a longue duree perspective, it is an imperative that both countries and its leaders, Prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and President Barack Obama, work toward building an architecture for a durable defense partnership while keeping the core national interests intact.

(Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the views either of the Editorial Committee or the Centre for Land Warfare Studies).