After a decade of shuffling, India and the US on Tuesday agreed ‘in principle’ to have a logistics Support Agreement (lSA) to allow each other’s Armed Forces to use airbases and naval bases of both the nations to replenish fuel, water and food for their warships and military aircraft on reimbursable basis.
The pact for lSA was reached between visiting US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter and his Indian counterpart Manohar Parrikar.
Saying that the proper agreement is likely to be inked within the next few weeks, Parrikar clarified that the proposed agreement does not entail positioning US troops on Indian soil and only caters to providing fuel, food and water for military weapon platforms. Moreover, the lSA will cover warships and military planes engaged in humanitarian activities like the recent Nepal earthquake and special missions, said Parrikar, adding the draft of the pact mutually agreed by two countries was in the process of getting fine tuned.
The proposal for such an agreement was mooted by the US to India more than 10 years back but the then UPA Government refrained from inking it due to strategic considerations besides political compulsions. The US has this kind of agreement with at least 50 countries where its warships and planes refuel at the bases of the host country. Incidentally, India does not have such an agreement with any country.
Addressing a joint news conference with Parrikar, Carter said with the lSA in place both the countries will not have to seek permission on case to case basis for replenishment and it makes “it easier for logistics.” Without divulging the hindrances tagging the lSA so far, the visiting Minister also said basic issues were resolved paving the way for the pact. Once the lSA is in place, reimbursement for logistics will be in three mutually agreed ways, including barter, replacement in kind and equal exchange for value.
Earlier announcing the decision to go ahead with the lSA, Parrikar said in his statement that with defence relations growing India has more joint military exercises with the US than with any other country. “We need to develop practical mechanisms to facilitate such exchanges. In this context, Secretary Carter and I agreed in principle to conclude a logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement in the coming months,” he said.
The two sides, however, did not mention anything about two other pending agreements, includingCommunication Inter-Operability and Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA) and Basic Exchange and Co-operation Agreement (BEKA). While CISMOA deals with sharing of technology and communications of advanced weapon systems, BEKA pertains to sharing of map data and satellite imagery. India has so far expressed reservations about US intentions and refrained from inking the pacts.
Among other issues discussed by delegations of two countries, it was agreed to set up a new bilateral Maritime Security Dialogue between officials from their respective defence and foreign affairs Ministries. This came as India and the US emphasised on freedom of navigation and need for international based order, in an apparent reference to China’s assertiveness in South China Sea. The two nations also decided to enhance on-going navy-to-navy discussions to cover submarine-related issues.
Highlighting some projects identified by India and the US to jointly manufacture weapon systems under the Defence Trade and Technology Initiative (DTTI), Carter said they included a tactical biological detection unit and Digital Helment Mounted Displays. He also said DTTI complemented Make in India policy to enhance Indian defence industry.
The two Ministers commended the on-going discussions at the Jet Engine Technology Joint Working Group (JETJWG)and the Joint Working Group on Aircraft Carrier Technology Cooperation (JWGACTC). They agreed to work towards greater cooperation in the field of cutting-edge defence technologies, including deepening consultations on aircraft carrier design and operations, and jet engine technology.