In a major defence cooperation, India and United States signed an agreement on Monday enabling their forces to use each other’s base The agreement will enable U.S. and Indian forces to use each other’s bases for fix and replenishment of supplies. However, some experts have welcomed the “long delayed” agreement that has been in discussions since 2004.
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New Delhi insists deal does not agree to set up USA bases in India.
The main opposition Congress party described the agreement as fundamental departure from India’s time-tested policy of strategic military neutrality, while as Communist Party of India said with the agreement India has acquired formal status of a being a military ally to US.
The pact makes India and United States military logistical allies. “It views itself as a major power and is developing on the wave of the emerging countries”, the editorial said.
“Let me get the logistics (of LEMOA) into public domain, then we will think about (the other cho8ices)” he added. Tyagi said as per the agreement signed, the U.S. armed forces can now use India naval and airbases for logistics support, refuelling and other services on regular basis.
Without naming China, both leaders mentioned the importance of the free flow of trade to both countries. The two Defence ministers said the logistics agreement would be useful during operations or humanitarian assistance in times of natural disasters by way of providing support. Antony had said that the agreement would mean an “end of independent foreign policy and strategic autonomy”.
Standing alongside Mr Parrikar, United States Secretary of Defence, Ashton Carter said that not only Indian civilians but its military also has been a victim of terrorism, in an apparent reference to terrorist attack in Pathankot earlier this year. Considering the reach and scale of the United States armed forces, the logistics agreement would come in more handy for them while operating and conducting exercises in this region.
The writing is on the wall and it speaks out clearly that India is fast moving closer to becoming a military ally of the United States, whether it means distancing from Russian Federation or not but certainly angering China.
India has in the past provided logistic support to the US.
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India and USA have already collaborated in the past on these like during the 2004 tsunami relief efforts and in 2015 for the Nepal quake relief work. “It’s not a basing agreement of any kind”, Carter said.
