Context: The recent visit of our Prime Minister to the United States has given a push to the U.S.-India bilateral defence engagement.
Relevance of the Topic: Mains: India-US relations: Defence cooperation
New Developments in US-India Defence Ties
- New 10-Year Defence Framework Agreement: Extends the U.S.-India Major Defence Partnership. Focus on autonomous systems, including:
- Collaboration between Anduril Industries & Mahindra Group.
- Co-development of Active Towed Array Systems (ATAS) by L3Harris & Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL).
- Launch of the Autonomous Systems Industry Alliance (ASIA) for advanced military technology cooperation.
- Greater cooperation in Defence:
- Possible collaboration in undersea systems, fifth-generation fighter aircraft, space, air defence, and anti-tank missiles.
- Review of the arms transfer regulatory regime to streamline defence trade and align acquisition mechanisms.
- Strengthening Defence acquisitions:
- India is to proceed with the purchase and co-production of ‘Javelin’ Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) & ‘Stryker’ Infantry Combat Vehicles (ICVs).
- Boosts domestic manufacturing and integrates India into the supply chain.
- India to acquire six additional P-8I Maritime Patrol Aircraft to enhance its Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA).
Challenges in India-U.S. Defence Partnership
- Delayed Technology Transfers and Engine Procurement Issues:
- No mention of General Electric (GE) Aerospace's F-404 GE-IN-20 engines for India-made Tejas Mark 1A fighter jets.
- No confirmation on the 80% Transfer of Technology (ToT) for GE’s F-414 engine, intended for Tejas Mark-II jets.
- India’s Air Force (IAF) faces fighter squadron depletion below the required strength (under 30 squadrons).
- Challenges in Fighter Aircraft Procurement and Integration:
- Potential integration of the F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft into the IAF presents a significant logistical and operational challenge.
- Indian Air Force already operates a highly diverse fleet, including Russian-origin Su-30MKIs, MiG-29s, French Rafales, British Jaguars, and the indigenous Tejas jets.
- Adding the F-35 to this mix would require extensive adjustments in terms of training, maintenance, infrastructure, and weapons compatibility.
- IAF's Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) project, which aimed to procure 114 multirole fighters, has faced repeated delays since its initiation in 2000.
- Strategic Autonomy Concerns:
- While India has been expanding its partnerships with multiple nations, including Russia, France, Israel, and the U.S., its reliance on foreign defence imports raises concerns about strategic autonomy.
- Unlike France, which agreed to provide some level of technology transfer for the Rafale deal, the U.S. has historically been reluctant to share critical defence technology with India.
- The U.S. tends to impose End-User Monitoring (EUM) agreements, which require on-site inspections of military equipment even after sale. This could compromise India’s operational secrecy.
- Acquiring U.S. systems like the F-35 or advanced missile defence systems may limit India’s ability to maintain a truly non-aligned defence policy, as it would increase dependence on American military infrastructure and intelligence-sharing agreements.