Logistics exchange: India, US military ties deepen
31 Aug 2016 12:15 AM GMT
The logistics exchange military agreement (LEMOA) was sealed by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and his American counterpart Ashton Carter in Pentagon. Carter said the agreement would make joint operations between their militaries logistically easier and more efficient.
Even now the three wings of India and the U.S. armed forces regularly conduct joint exercises on a substantially large scale. Considering the reach and scale of the US armed forces, the logistics agreement would come in more handy for them while operating and conducting exercises in this region.
The agreement, signed during the last phase of President Barrack Obama’s tenure, also shows the deep desire of the Modi government to place trust in the US administration with a view to have a long-term beneficial relationship on a much wider scale in geo-political and strategic terms.
The US had earlier supported India’s bid to gain entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). It is also likely that the NDA government, led by the BJP, may face criticism at home from a section of the political class for sealing this agreement with the U.S. The CPI(M) has already denounced the LEMOA, saying it has compromised India’s sovereignty.
Probably being aware of such criticism, both Parrikar and Carter took pains to stress that the agreement in no way allows the US to set up military bases on Indian soil and neither it provides for troops to be stationed in India.
As the world’s largest navy, the U.S. naval forces operate around the world and LEMOA would make it easier for it to get support from India in joint operations, exercises, humanitarian missions.
Similarly, the Indian Navy which eyes a greater role in the region and also has to counter growing presence of China, particularly in the South China Sea, will be able to benefit from the support from its American counterpart. The US also wants India to play a greater role in the Asia-Pacific region to counter China’s influence.
The US considers such logistic exchange military agreements with its defence allies a routine matter and it already has many such agreements with other countries but concerns in India’s previous governments and political class have largely been based on apprehension that such an agreement would make India a military ally of the US and undermine India’s autonomy. The short-lived Chandrashekhar government in the early 90s had faced criticism for allowing refuelling of the US fighter jets in Mumbai which were taking part in operations in Iraq.
It was in April this year that India and the US had agreed in principle to sign a Logistics Exchange Agreement. Carter who was visiting New Delhi at that time and Parrikar had pointed out the proposed agreement only related to provision of logistical support, refuelling facilities, supplies, repair and rest. 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.
“Logistics is very important part of the operation. It will be on case by case basis,” Mr. Carter had said. During his visit Carter had pointed out that the new logistics agreement “reflects the fact that we expect to be working more, our Navies together, our Air Forces together, our Armies together and we want to have the ability to respond together to let’s say a humanitarian disaster... this doesn’t bind anybody to doing anything in particular.”
However, the first salvo against the agreement was fired by the CPI(M) which said that it would allow the American armed forces to access and use Indian military bases.
“The Modi government has compromised on Indian sovereignty and surrendered its strategic autonomy by signing such an agreement with the most powerful imperialist country in the world,” the party’s Polit Bureau said in a statement on Tuesday.
“By signing such an agreement, India has acquired the formal status of a military ally of the US. Under this agreement, the US air force and navy can use Indian naval and air bases for logistics
support, refuelling and services on a regular basis,” it said.
The CPI-M expressed concern that the US armed forces can utilise Indian military bases while conducting military operations in these parts of the world.
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