Manohar Parrikar US visit to boost defence ties

Agreement on quick clearance for joint exercises, port calls likely.

Defence minister Manohar Parrikar’s three-day US visit, beginning August 29, is expected to take military ties between the two biggest democracies to another level with the likely signing of the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA).

The latest visit comes in the backdrop of developments in the South China Sea region backed by the belligerent moves of the Chinese Air Force and Navy in the area, a pronounced distancing of the US from Pakistan over the latter’s support to forces of terror and an overt Indian ambition to play a bigger role in South Asia.

The signing of the agreement will be another fillip to the converging interests of the two nations.

The agreement — which has “ask and take” as its main guiding principle — will allow for simple accounting procedures by clearing bureaucratic red tape when it comes to mutual visits, joint-training exercises, port calls and humanitarian assistance.

“It also means easily allowing for mutual logistics support facilities, including fuel issues, spares, repairs, etc,” a defence source told this newspaper.

“For India, it will mean a considerable enhancing of its operational reach in times of war, during rescue missions, while combating piracy, and also in securing the sea route around the Malacca straits through which most of Indian trade with the Pacific takes place,” the source added.

The US is the largest operator of overseas military bases with 662 bases across 38 countries. The LEMOA will enable India much freer access to all these stations. The agreement is a conservative version of the Logistic and Supply Agreement, a treaty the US has with its key military allies, allowing US forces to be stationed in the territories of its allies.

The US may also be looking to push for a fighter aircraft deal besides agreements for other military platforms and systems. Recently, American defence major Lockheed Martin had offered to move its sole production line of the latest version of fighter aircraft F-16 Block 70 to India from Texas to meet Indian and global requirement.

India has already announced that it will choose at least one more aircraft, besides the indigenous Tejas, for the IAF through the Make in India route.

Lockheed Martin faces competition from its American rival Boeing (F/A-18E), France’s Dassault Aviation (Rafale), Sweden’s Saab (Gripen) and the Eurofighter.