The U.S. and India are expected to sign a key military agreement this week, bolstering cooperation in the Pacific and Indian oceans to counter an increasingly assertive China, Indian officials said.
A senior U.S. defense official didn’t confirm the planned signing, but cited significant progress. He also said the pact, known as the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement, or Beca, would “allow for expanded geospatial-information sharing between our armed forces.”
India’s cabinet, which met under Prime Minister Narendra Modi early last week, approved the draft pact, setting the stage for a formal signing, according to two Indian government officials privy to the development.
The pact would give India access to advanced American map and satellite imagery, enhancing the accuracy of automated weapons, drones and missiles, the Indian officials said.
Besides India, Mr. Pompeo is visiting Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Indonesia.
The enhanced cooperation with New Delhi comes at a time of heightened tensions between India and China along their Himalayan border, where the nuclear-armed neighbors have deployed tens of thousands of troops with artillery since a deadly hand-to-hand clash in mid-June.
“In the current scenario of the border standoff with China, geospatial intelligence and real-time images will be crucial for us,” said one of the Indian officials.
Indian army vehicles in the disputed region of eastern Ladakh on Sept. 7.
Photo:
farooq khan/Shutterstock
Mr. Modi’s efforts to strengthen ties with partner countries—especially the others in what is called the Quad group, Australia, Japan and the U.S.—are aligning with the Trump administration’s much more assertive approach to China, said Harsh V. Pant, head of strategic affairs at Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation, which describes itself as a nonpartisan, independent research organization that promotes a “strong and prosperous India in a fair and equitable world.”
“The fact that the U.S. is spending so much diplomatic capital on enhancing ties with India when an election is a week away underscores the growing maturity of Indo-U.S. engagement and the fact that China’s rise is a challenge that cannot wait for the electoral cycle to get over,” said Mr. Pant.
The U.S. and India have grown closer over the past two decades, starting with a landmark political deal that legitimized India’s nuclear arsenal and opened the door to sales of civilian nuclear technology from the U.S.
From essentially zero dollars in defense cooperation in 2008, India-U.S bilateral defense trade has grown to more than $20 billion in 2020, according to the State Department. American aviation and aerospace companies such as
Boeing Co.
...
Read the Original Article on Source Page
#India #Expected #Sign #Military #Pact #China #Prompts #Closer #Ties
0 Post a Comment:
Post a Comment