Military communications pact finally sealed with Washington
CHANCES OF US SANCTIONS OVER DELHI’S BID FOR RUSSIAN MISSILE SYSTEMS REDUCE
India and the United States signed an accord on secure military communications that both sides hailed as a breakthrough yesterday, possibly opening the way for sales of sensitive US military equipment to India.
The pact was signed after US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for talks aimed at deepening political and security ties.
The world’s two largest democracies have drawn closer in recent years, seeking ways to counter-balance China’s spreading influence across Asia, notably in Pakistan, Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean.
The Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) that was signed yesterday had been stalled for years because of India’s concerns that it would open up its communications network to the US military.
Pompeo said the accord was a “major step” forward that officials have previously said would allow the US to transfer high-tech equipment such as armed surveillance drones. New Delhi has been seeking the drones to monitor the Indian Ocean where China, a close ally of Pakistan, has been making repeated forays in recent years.
India and the United States also agreed to open a hotline between their foreign heads and hold joint exercises involving the air force, navy and the army off the eastern Indian coast in 2019, the Indian government said.
Positive energy
“The momentum in our defence partnership has imbued a tremendous positive energy that has elevated India-US relations to unprecedented heights,” Sitharaman said.
A senior US defence official said the United States had only signed similar pacts with fewer than 30 other countries.
“It opens up a range of defence technologies to India,” Joseph Felter, deputy assistant secretary of defence for South and Southeast Asia, told a small group of reporters.
Felter said that by signing the agreement some Indian weapon systems would see an immediate increase in capabilities, including the C-130 and C-17 aircraft.
The United States has emerged as India’s second largest arms supplier, closing $15 billion worth of deals in the past decade.
Experts believe the signing of the COMCASA agreement could also reduce the chances of the United States imposing sanctions on India for looking to buy Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile systems. The US has imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia, under which any country engaged with its defence and intelligence sectors could face secondary US sanctions.