THE FOUNDATIONAL AGREEMENTS BETWEEN INDIA & USA

The USA enters into ‘foundational or enabling agreements’ with its defence partners. These agreements govern the nature & scope of U.S. defence partnerships. Partners enhance the capabilities of the U.S. military in distant places through sharing information, platforms and logistics.

The U.S. sells military equipment to other countries with strict control over their deployment and use. But foundational agreement helps get extra facilitations on those products.

October 2020, during the third 2+2 dialogue of defence and foreign ministers of the two countries the agreement was signed.

This is the fourth and the last of the foundational agreements that both countries have concluded, starting with GSOMIA (General Security of Military Information Agreement) in 2002, LEMOA (Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement) in 2016, COMCASA (Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement) in 2018, and now BECA.

The U.S. wants to advance ‘interoperability’ i.e. real time cooperation with defence forces of defence partners. The U.S. has signed these foundational agreements with at least 100 countries. The General Security of Military Information Agreement or GSOMIA, and its extension, the Information Security Annex (ISA) signed in 2019, allow military technology cooperation for the sharing of classified information between governments and companies in both countries.

The LEMOA enables logistics support, say refuelling of planes or ships, supply of spare parts or maintenance to each other. Even in the absence of this agreement, such cooperation can and has taken place between India and the U.S., but the agreement makes it seamless, and the accounting easier.

COMCASA allows Indian forces to procure advanced, secure communication equipment from the U.S. Such equipment was earlier denied for U.S. origin platforms such as C-17, C-130, & commercial systems were used in their place.

U.S. has posted a liaison officer at the Navy’s Information Fusion Centre for Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) meant to promote Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA)India has recently posted a liaison officer at the U.S. Navy Central Command in Bahrain and is also considering a U.S.

The BECA enables exchange of geospatial information. Akin to a GPS that enables navigation, such exchange of geospatial information enhances the accuracy of a missile or the utility of a drone. Since the Civil Nuclear Agreement of 2005, the India-U.S. defence cooperation has been advancing at a rapid pace.

The U.S. has relaxed restrictions on technology trade in India’s favour considerably, and India is designated a ‘Major Defence Partner’. Critics worry that tying itself too closely with the U.S. may limit India’s choices.

The U.S. is very particular about the integrity of its networks, and pressure could mount on India to remain firmly in its camp. The U.S. is worried about India’s continuing defence cooperation with Russia. India will be taking the delivery of Russian S-400 missile defence system ignoring American objections.

The sharing will involve Maps, charts, commercial and other unclassified imagery, Geodetic, geophysical, geomagnetic and gravity data, Related products, publications and materials, in printed or digital formats, Mutual technical assistance and technology information exchanges, The geospatial information will significantly improve the accuracy of India’s missiles for targeted precision strikes.

The continuing standoff with China is an obvious factor that underpins the entire dialogue and the U.S.