Indo-US defence ties increase

IN 2019, the US approved the sale of armed drones to India and even offered integrated air and missile defence systems.

In February 2020, India sealed a $2.6bn (£2.2bn) deal with the US for the procurement of 24 MH-60 Romeo helicopters from American aerospace major Lockheed Martin for the Indian Navy. Delivery of those helicopters has already begun.

A few months later that same year, in October,

India and the US sealed the BECA (Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement) agreement that provides for sharing high-end military technology, logistics and geospatial maps between the two countries.

Prior to that, in June 2016, the US designated India a ‘Major Defence Partner’, paving way for sharing of critical military equipment and technology.

The two countries have also inked key defence and security pacts over the past few years, including the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016 that allows their militaries to use each other’s bases for repair and replenishment of supplies.

In 2018, both sides signed the COMCASA (Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement) which provides for interoperability between the two militaries and provides for the sale of highend technology from the US to India.