Amidst COVID-19 and U.S election, recently 2+2 dialogue held in New Delhi. At this auspicious and crucial session Mike Pompeo and Mark Esper embarked India to meet India's foreign minister S. Jaishankar and defense minister Rajnath Singh. This was third 2+2 dialogue between India and USA, the first was also held on Indian soil at New Delhi in September 2018 and second 2+2 talk was held at American soil at Washington DC in 2019
Like every year this year too new incentives and programs were detailed and many vital and critical issues were discussed and during this meet, both India and the US have agreed to strengthen their bilateral cooperation in areas of defense, counter-terrorism and trade, and to work mutually for a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
Let's start now by reviewing what's new in this 3rd 2+2 dialogue.
The major yield of this dialogue was BECA, signed between India and the United States, along with the two agreements signed earlier — the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) and the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) — completes a trio of “foundational pacts” for deep military cooperation between the two countries' for the mutual development.
In nutshell BECA will help India get real-time access to American geospatial intelligence which seeks to enhance the accuracy of automated defense systems and defense weapons and armed drones etc. In layman terms just like how your GPS system in your smart-phone helps you on the path to reach your destination quickly and efficiently, BECA will provide Indian military systems with a high-quality GPS to navigate missiles with real-time intelligence to precisely target the adversary. This revolutionary deal could be key to Air Force-to-Air Force cooperation between India and the US which will enhance the cooperation between two powerful countries.
If we talk apart from this deal there are others too which ought to be discussed like in the field of aero defense and choppers, India and USA has been working keenly in the field of defense say it defense or may be competition. Recently including the C-17 Globe-masters and the C-130J Super Hercules Special Operations transport aircraft which has been inducted in Indian army, India has invested and acquired equipment worth around USD 20 billion from there in the last 15 years. The Indian Army is also using Ultra Light Howitzers guns purchased from the US while the Navy has also recently opted for the American MH-60 Romeo anti-submarine warfare multirole choppers for its requirements in defense fulfillment.
Both countries are well connected with bilateral regular military exercises too and now it has been in news that Indian Army is all set conduct `Yudh Abhyas` and `Vajra Prahar` with American troops early next year while the Navy is going to take part in the Malabar series exercise in November in the Indian Ocean with the Australian and Japanese Navies also set to participate which together forms quads.
For general background I would like to mention the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) and Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) too. LEMOA was signed in 2016 which allows the militaries of India and USA to replenish from each other’s bases, and access supplies, spare parts and services from each other’s land facilities, air bases, and ports, which can then be reimbursed. This became strategic for both India-US Navy-to-Navy co-operation, since the two countries are cooperating closely in the Indo-pacific. This can be seen as letting US warships visit Indian ports during the war on terror after 9/11 depict the mutuality between them.
COMCASA, it was signed in September 2018. I simple terms this agreement was like ability to exchange messages or communicate with a friend on WhatsApp or Telegram in real time and in a secure environment as according to this agreement US will provide India encrypted communications equipment and systems so that Indian and US military commanders, and the aircraft and ships of the two countries, can communicate through secure networks during times of both peace and war just like as discussed before.