JOIN USBy Rajaram Panda
US defence secretary Leon Panetta paid a two-day visit to India last week. The purpose of the visit was to bolster bilateral strategic and defence cooperation as well as discuss China’s growing assertiveness, especially in the contentious South China Sea, and the volatile Af-Pak region. Panetta called on prime minister Manmohan Singh on June 5, a day ahead of his delegation-level talks with defence minister A K Antony and national security advisor Shivshankar Menon on regional and global security issues.
Both Antony and Panetta expressed concern at China’s growing military budget and aggressive behaviour in South China Sea. The two countries shared their assessment of Beijing’s long-term intentions. The talks focused on stepping up military-to-military ties as well as firming up the arms deals. The US may have lost out in the almost $20 billion MMRCA (medium multi-role combat aircraft) project to supply 126 fighters to IAF, but it has notched up military sales worth over $8 billion to India over the last decade.
India is now also close to inking the $647 million contract for the acquisition of 145 M-777 ultra-light howitzers from the US in a direct government-to-government deal under the foreign military sales (FMS) programme. Another deal being finalised is the $1.4-billion contract to acquire 22 missile-armed helicopters, the AH-64D Apache Longbow gunships manufactured by Boeing. The earlier big-ticket deals inked include the $4.1 billion for 10 C-17 Globemaster-III strategic airlift aircraft, $2.1 billion for eight P-8I maritime patrol aircraft and $962 million for six C-130J Super Hercules planes. Negotiations are now being held for acquiring six more C-130J as well as four more P-8I aircraft.
Panetta’s visit demonstrates the fact that Washington eyes New Delhi as a potential strategic partner. Besides discussing expanding defence ties, the leaders also discussed Nato’s war efforts in Afghanistan and China’s increasing economic and military power in the region. The visit also demonstrated Washington’s strategic shift towards Asia, as the US eyes New Delhi as a potentially pivotal partner. Security ties with India have steadily improved in recent years but US officials have yet to realise the goal of a game-changing alliance that could check China’s role and empower the two countries’ economies, analysts say.
But both countries have been disappointed about a lack of progress on defence trade and other fronts. Although US arms sales to New Delhi have dramatically expanded over the past decade, India in 2011 rejected bids by US contractors for a $12 billion fighter jet contract. France's Dassault is now in exclusive winner in the bid. India, for its part, has expressed irritation over US export restrictions that prevent it from gaining access to some high-tech US weaponry.
The India trip, part of a nine-day tour of Asia, followed stops in Vietnam and Singapore in which Panetta signalled US plans to bolster its naval presence in the face of a more assertive China.
During his talks in New Delhi, Panetta encouraged India to play a ‘more active role’ in Afghanistan. On the war in Afghanistan, India worries that the departure of most of the US and Nato forces by the end of 2014 could empower Islamic extremists. India wants greater coordination with the US on Afghanistan. Although India wants to improve military relations with the US, New Delhi opts to place limits on the arrangement, giving it room to manoeuver.
Washington was previously worried about India antagonising its arch-foe Pakistan and preferred New Delhi retain a modest profile in the Afghan conflict restricted to troop training and infrastructure development. But even as the NATO-led force prepares to withdraw combat troops by the end of 2014, the US welcome India playing a “more active political and economic role” and hopes India would expand its training of Afghan security forces. The US feels that India has "trained army and police before but on a relatively small scale." Such a US approach seems to be in tune with US’ strategic tilt towards Asia.
The suggestion that India bolster its presence in Afghanistan might be an attempt by Washington to press Pakistan to open its border to Nato supply convoys, which Islamabad has blocked since a US air strike in November 2011 that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. The United States has had to rely since then on a more costly, cumbersome route to the north through Central Asia. Any enhanced role for India would alarm Islamabad, which views New Delhi's activities in Afghanistan with deep suspicion, fearing India could effectively encircle Pakistan through its proxies. A prudent Indian approach to allay such fears would contribute to confidence building in this volatile region of the world. A stable regional order would serve the interests of all the countries in the region.