India's non-aligned tradition receding: former US official

[dadeechi]

India's non-aligned tradition is "receding", a former Bush Administration official has told a top Senate committee as he painted an upbeat scenario of growing Indo-US relations.

"I'd say of all the aspects of US-India relations; the defence component now is moving forward with the most speed. Nothing is fast in India but with the most speed in that context," Michael Green, a former Bush Administration official and now with a think-tank, told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee during a hearing on Asia Pacific.

"The bipartisan and continuous support for building this relationship is very positive thing for our country. There is still this non-aligned tradition in the ministry of external affairs but it's not growing. It's receding," he said in response to a question.

And public opinion polls about the US and India are very, very positive. "We do more exercises with India than they do with the whole rest of the world combined. We also sell a lot of stuff," he added.

"People forget we lost the fighter competition but we sell a lot of things to India. A 10-year vision would include regular Malabar exercises that would include the India Navy but also Japan, Singapore, Australia, you know, maybe China or others, depending on the exercise. You can do these in sequence and have different kinds of exercises," Green said.

In the commercial or defence industrial relationship, he said that there's potential for ASW Patrol, maybe even submarines 10 years from now.

"I wouldn't erase that. But it's not going to be a US Nuclear tech sub, it's going to be some version of a Japanese or Australian sub or maybe we help with the integration of the weapon systems. So, there's an industrial part," he said.

However, one of the most difficult parts of the relationship has been the intelligence relationship which is the life blood of any alliance or partnership. "And that's moving at a good direction too. So, sustained bipartisan commitment to their relationship is good," he said.

http://www.business-standard.com/ar...ceding-former-us-official-116020401774_1.html

 

[dadeechi]

US Navy chief asks India to expedite defence treaties
Our Bureau

New Delhi, February 4:
The US Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) John Richardson, who is on his maiden visit to India, has urged the government to expedite the three-proposed defence treaties in order to achieve greater cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries.

The US wants India to sign three main defence pacts related to the Communications and Information Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA), Logistics Support Agreement (LSA) and Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA).

“I think there is a shared understanding that these agreements have value. They provide structure for exchange. I think they provide opportunity for enhanced cooperation,” the CNO told reporters here on Wednesday.

The issue was also raised by the American authorities during Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar’s visit to the US last year.

“There is a very dedicated effort to put everything into place. So, we are optimistic about closing some of these arrangements,” Richardson added.

The US has been urging India to sign the pacts for a long time now. However, the previous Congress-led UPA Government had refused to sign them.

But, the Narendra Modi-led government has asked the US to make the proposals yet again, hinting at signing and implementing them. The US has been asking India to sign the three pacts under the bilateral Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI).

LSA, CISMOA and BECA are three crucial defence foundational agreements. While CISMOA and BECA would enable technology transfer and seamless communication between the military systems of the two countries, LSA seeks to embolden security capabilities of both militaries.

The CNO, who is visiting India from February 2– 6, will also be seeking deeper maritime cooperation between both countries.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com...-expedite-defence-treaties/article8194351.ece

Are Boeing and India About to Open the Door on a Possible F/A-18 Super Hornet Deal?
Boeing may be interested in manufacturing the F/A-18 Super Hornet in India.

110603-N-DR144-167 PACIFIC OCEAN (June 3, 2011) An F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 81 maneuvers over the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) during an air power demonstration. Carl Vinson and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17 are underway in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility.
Image Credit: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class James R. Evans/Released

By Ankit Panda for The Diplomat
February 04, 2016

U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing is in talks with the Indian government to manufacture its F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters in India, according to comments by the company’s chief executive officer, Dennis Muilenberg. Muilenberg, who is visiting India for the first time, said that Boeing is in “conversation” with India to manufacture the F/A-18, a multirole fighter, in India. Muilenberg’s remarks come after Boeing’s chairman, James McNerney, said in October that the company would be happy to manufacture the F/A-18 in India provided the Indian Air Force would express interest in purchasing and operating the jets.

“We are taking a hard look at the opportunity for the F18 fighter jet as an area where we can build industrial capacity, supply chain partnerships, technical depth, design and manufacturing capability in India, providing an operational capability that is useful for Indian defence forces,” Muilenberg said in New Delhi earlier this week. ”Make in India is an enabler aligned with that strategy,” he added, referencing the Indian government’s program to encourage indigenous manufacturing.

The F/A-18 was considered as part of India’s now-dead medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) tender, losing out to France’s Dassault Aviation’s Rafale fighter. Having left the MMRCA tender behind officially, New Delhi has chosen to still stick with the Rafale, opting to conclude the deal through a government-to-government deal with no domestic manufacturing component. (Instead, talks on the Rafale deal are hung up on the issue of offset spending clauses, which would require France to reinvest part of the revenue from the deal in India.) The final deal is for 36 fighters—far short of the 126 envisaged under the MMRCA.

That comments from Boeing regarding the possibility of F/A-18 manufacturing in India are occurring now is not entirely surprising. The U.S. firm could see an opportunity with the still held-up Rafale deal. In fact, the offer to manufacture the F/A-18 in India addresses one of the main lost attractions of the MMRCA procurement program—a domestic manufacturing component with technology transfer.

“Our intent here is to build an industrial framework for the long run that builds on the aerospace investments being made not only by programme, but also by long-term industrial capacity that is globally competitive,” Muilenberg noted in India, clearly marketing his comments to those in India who would love to see a major firm like Boeing invest in India’s homegrown manufacturing sector.

The F/A-18 could be attractive to India for a variety of reasons. Notably, New Delhi is modernizing its carriers and working on its next-generation 65,000 ton Vikrant-class aircraft carrier. India and the United States have a working group on carrier cooperation, and it’s possible that India’s second indigenous aircraft carrier could implement General Electric’s Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) with a Catapult-Assisted Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR) launch system for its air wing. If Boeing is serious about talking to India about the F/A-18, that may give U.S.-India cooperation on carrier technology a boost, making the adoption of EMALS CATOBAR system more likely.

There’s a lot to consider with these comments from Boeing’s chief executive. As the MMRCA saga and ongoing talks over the Rafale deal attest, India has faced its share of difficulties in procuring a fourth-generation multi-role fighter. The conclusion of the Rafale deal, which is very likely, will make an F/A-18 acquisition unlikely given the complicated logistics and high maintenance costs for the IAF in managing a fighter fleet consisting of a hodge podge of Russia, French, and U.S. jets.

Muilenburg’s remarks open an interesting door for India. The IAF continues to run a fighter shortage that won’t be solved by the conclusion and delivery of 36 Rafales. The F/A-18 prospect has its problems, but it’s far from an unthinkable option at this point. As always, however, the devil will be in the details. If Boeing and New Delhi open the door to official talks and start discussing an order, history tells us that it could be years before Indian pilots are flying U.S. fighters.

http://thediplomat.com/2016/02/are-...e-door-on-a-possible-fa-18-super-hornet-deal/

 

[Ankit Kumar]

Lol these muricans, we are discussing to pay billions for a production line of 155mm howitzer , while they provide hundreds of towed and self propelled ones to Pakistan for free.

It seems we are paying for the pakistani acquisitions lol.