India, US in defence pact

MoU to provide assistance to armed forces, no sharing of bases

Signalling a paradigm shift in their defence relationship, India and the United States finally inked the long-awaited Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement in Washington on Tuesday, allowing for unprecedented closer ties between the militaries of the world’s two largest democracies.

The announcement about the deal was made by defence minister Manohar Parrikar and US defence secretary, Ashton Carter, at a joint press conference.

“Our decision to sign the LEMOA today would make it easier for our armed forces to carry out joint activities, such as training and exercises, as well as HADR missions,” Mr Parrikar told the media in the presence of Mr Carter. The defence minister is on a three-day visit to the United States.

A landmark pact which was 12 years in the waiting, LEMOA — a watered down version of the Logistics and Supplies Agreement, an agreement that the US has with its key Nato allies — will facilitate much easier and simpler access to each other’s bases in the form of logistical support, refuelling, supplies, and other such services on a reimbursable basis.

The agreement, signed during Mr Parrikar’s sixth meeting with Mr Carter in two years, has added further fillip to the belief that a new military alignment is in the making — one whose impact may be quite pronounced in the important South Asia region.

THERE IS no provision for any base or any sort of activity to set up a base in India — MANOHAR PARRIKAR Defence minister

Signalling a paradigm shift in their defence relationship, India and the US inked the Logistics Exchange Memo-randum of Agreement in Washington on Tuesday

LEMOA will make joint operations easier — a development that China will definitely watch with a lot of concern. After all, the US is the largest operator of overseas military bases with 662 bases across 38 nations.