NEW DELHI \u2014 India and the US\u00a0are poised to enter the next level of\u00a0defense\u00a0and strategic ties following an agreement in principle to share\u00a0logistics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The US\u00a0has been pressing New Delhi to sign the agreement for\u00a0the\u00a0last ten <\/span>10 years. It was\u00a0termed along with two other agreements as\u00a0“foundation\u00a0agreements.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the agreement is a closer version\u00a0of\u00a0the Logistics Support Agreement (LSA), according to a source in the Indian\u00a0Ministry of Defence (MoD), and it is not the general LSA that the US\u00a0signs with other countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “As our\u00a0engagement deepens, we\u00a0need\u00a0to develop practical mechanisms to facilitate such exchanges,” Indian Defence Minister\u00a0Manohar Parrikar said, according to an\u00a0MoD\u00a0release from Tuesday. “In this\u00a0context, [US Defense] Secretary [Ash]\u00a0Carter and I agreed in principle to conclude a\u00a0Logistics\u00a0Exchange Memorandum of Agreement in the coming months.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n MoD sources say the agreement Logistics Exchange Memorandum of\u00a0Agreement\u00a0(LEMOA) will be tailored\u00a0for India and will not be a general Logistics Support Agreement (LSA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The announcement that the two countries have reached consensus on\u00a0logistics was made at a joint new conference during Carter’s visit to India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The two countries agreed in principle to sign an\u00a0agreement on providing logistics but have yet to finalize the draft of\u00a0the\u00a0agreement, an MoD official said. There was no date given on when the signing would take place. The MoD official added that the draft for the agreement would\u00a0take\u00a0care of India’s concerns\u00a0but refused to mention specific topics of concern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A formal agreement, when inked, will access supplies, spare parts and\u00a0services from each other’s land facilities, air bases\u00a0and ports, which\u00a0can\u00a0then be reimbursed, according to the MoD source, who added that\u00a0the signing of the LEMOA does\u00a0not\u00a0provide automatic access to the use of military bases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The U.S. administration has been wanting India to sign three agreements\u00a0to deepen the already existing India-US\u00a0military\u00a0relationship.\u00a0The three agreements are the Communications and Information Security\u00a0Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA); the LSA; and the Basic Exchange and\u00a0Cooperation Agreement (BECA) for geospatial intelligence.\u00a0India has provided logistics assistance to the US\u00a0in the past on a case-by-case\u00a0basis, which included providing refueling facilities to American\u00a0aircraft during the Gulf War in 2001.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Analysts say signing the CISMOA would enable India to get encrypted\u00a0communications equipment and systems allowing military commanders to\u00a0communicate with aircraft and ships through a secure network. The BECA\u00a0would\u00a0provide India with topographical and aeronautical data and products,\u00a0which\u00a0will aid navigation and targeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, some Indian military officials do not support\u00a0the CISMOA and\u00a0BECA. One Indian Army official said\u00a0the agreements would provide the US with access to communications about Indian military operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No MoD official would discuss whether there is agreement in principle on CISMOA\u00a0and\u00a0BECA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n