US India Proposal on Defence Ties

Why in news?

US has proposed to have reciprocal military liaison officers at India- US combatant commands.

What is the proposed plan about?

• The US, currently, has arrangements for military liaison officers with some of its NATO allies and close defence partners.
• Which includes Australia, Canada, Japan, Republic of Korea, Philippines, New Zealand and Great Britain.
• In the same lines US has proposed to have ties with India,this will place India in the orbit of America’s closest allies.
• According this plan liaison officers will be commissioned by Pacific Command of the US defence forces in Indian military headquarters.

What is the significance of this proposal?

• India-US signed the foundational military agreement, Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016.
• Earlier US administration designated India a Major Defence Partner, current administration is also taking the same stand.
• As a component of taking bilateral strategic relationship, to a new level US promised to take the element of military cooperation between the two countries.
• To deal with an assertive Chinese transgressions into Indian Territory, US ties would help India for geo-political manoeuvre to secure its interests.

What is the stand of India over this proposal?

• India is not averse to a strong partnership with any country, it remains rightly opposed to any military alliance which could impinge on its strategic flexibility.
• Present US administration’s unpredictable pronouncements have adversely affected perceptions of America’s reliability as a partner and makes Indian government more cautious.
• India is yet to see any benefits of being designated a Major Defence Partner, with no transfer of American defence technology for making major military platforms in India actually taking place.
• India also seeks greater clarity over the role and charter of liaison officers to understand the value and quality of information that will be shared between the two militaries.
• Due to some hard experiences from the US, India seeks greater economic concessions from US rather considering any military arrangements in first place.

Source: The Indian Express