Pentagon to enhance Indo-US counter-terrorism cooperation

“The Department of Defense delivered the US-India Security Cooperation Report,which was requested in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012,” the Pentagon spokesman George Little said.

The one-time report,which was delivered on Tuesday,provides a current status of US-India relations and outlines ways to enhance bilateral security cooperation in the future,Little said in a statement.

Asserting that it is in the US’ interest to support India’s rise through military-to-military ties,arms sales and exercises,the Congress in its annual budget for the fiscal 2012 had sought a report from Pentagon by November 1 on a five-year action plan to strengthen bilateral defense relations.

The nine-page report was submitted to the Congress as directed by the apex American legislative body in its latest budget passed this year.

“As our robust exercise slate and ongoing operational cooperation demonstrate,some of the most promising US-India defense cooperation takes place in the maritime domain,” it said.

“As we look to build on our successes,we will work together to ensure that we actualize the cooperation already agreed upon in the 2006 Indo-US Framework for Maritime Security Cooperation,” the report said.

“Deepening maritime security cooperation with India holds great potential over the next five years across a range of issues,including,but not limited to,maritime domain awareness and countering piracy,” it said.

On the counter-terrorism front,the United States continues to focus on Al-Qaeda and other terrorist threats that emanate from South Asia,it said. For some of these groups,particularly Lashkar-e-Toiba LeT,India remains the primary target,the report said. “LeT’s activities continue to threaten US interests and South Asian regional stability. Therefore,we will continue to follow the guidance of our National Strategy for Counter-terrorism which calls for joining with key partners,like India,to share the burdens of our common security goals,” it said.

“In doing so,we will seek to expand counter-terrorism cooperation with India,and our current special operations engagements in the region will continue to focus on the mutually beneficial ways in which we can enhance each other’s capabilities,” the Pentagon said.

“In both instances,DoD will work with the State Department and other inter agency colleagues as appropriate to work with India in the emerging Asian regional security architecture and other multilateral forums,such as the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus,” the report said.

The Pentagon said it plans to conduct increasingly complex joint and combined exercises with a focus on counter-terrorism,maritime security and HA/DR across all of the Services.

“Additionally,we will work together to convert the skills attained during these exercises into practical cooperation and action,” it said.

“As we continue to expand operational coordination in the Indian Ocean,we should continue to seek opportunities to exercise multilaterally with partners in the region,” the Pentagon said.

“These habits of cooperation could facilitate timely responses to crises,such as those often triggered in the region by natural disasters,” it said.

Observing that India’s capability and capacity to participate in counter-piracy operations has been demonstrated consistently during the annual MALABAR exercise and in its counter piracy operations off its west coast,the Pentagon said the US appreciated India’s deployment of naval vessels to support counter-piracy operations through the SHADE Shared Awareness and Deconfliction mechanism.

“We will increasingly seek Indian participation and leadership in external operations or exercises related to interdiction,piracy,and port access,” it said.

The United States appreciated India’s continued contribution to the counter-piracy mission in the western Indian Ocean and would support India’s leadership role in regional counter-piracy efforts,it said.

The Pentagon said that the US Navy would like to work with the Indian Navy to improve capabilities to perform higher-end,operational missions in the Indian Ocean region as the strategic context dictates.

Stronger Indo-US defence ties

Further,the report said Pentagon is working towards a series of steps,including co-development of armaments,transfer of some of its most advanced technologies,to strengthen military to military co-operation between the US and India.

“Over the next five years,we will continue to build the support structures necessary to ensure the maturation of a robust and mutually beneficial defense relationship with India in the Asia-Pacific and globally,” it said.

“We will advance the defense relationship by deepening people-to-people ties through continued military-to-military engagements,implementing agreed upon cooperation and pursuing new avenues of collaboration with particular emphasis on maritime security and counter-terrorism activities and expanding defense trade and armaments cooperation,” the Pentagon said.

“It is in the national interest of the United States,through military-to-military relations,arms sales,bilateral and multilateral joint exercises and other means,to support India’s rise and build a strategic and military culture of cooperation and interoperability between our two countries,in particular with regard to the Indo-Pacific region,” the Congress had said.

The powerful Senate Armed Services Committee had said that it believed that a deepening global strategic partnership between the US and India would be critical to the maintenance and expansion of a rules-based international system that promotes freedom,democracy,security,prosperity and the rule of law in the 21st century.

In its report the Pentagon said the relationship between the US and India — what the US President,Barack Obama,had called one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century — is a priority for the US government and for the US Department of Defense.

“The United States and India are natural partners,destined to be closer because of shared interests and values and our mutual desire for a stable and secure world. A strong bilateral partnership is in US interests and benefits both countries,” it said.

“We expect India’s importance to US interests to grow in the long-run as India,a major regional and emerging global power,increasingly assumes roles commensurate with its position as a stakeholder and a leader in the international system,” said the report.

More military exercises

Joint exercises between the two forces too have grown dramatically,with as many as 56 cooperative events in 2011,more than India has conducted with any other country,the report acknowledged.

“US-India military exercises have grown dramatically in size,scope and sophistication. We now have regular exercises across all services that help to deepen our military and defence relationships,” the Pentagon said in its report.

In 2010,the US Pacific Command USPACOM and the Indian Integrated Defence Staff IDS conducted the inaugural Joint Exercise India JEI tabletop exercise in Alaska which is a significant step in the evolution of the exercise programme because it facilitates multiservice and bilateral cooperation.

It said JEI may include a command post exercise in 2012. Noting that Naval cooperation between the two countries helped to lay the groundwork for cooperation to evolve in complexity,the report said the two navies conduct four exercises annually: MALABAR,HABU NAG naval aspects of amphibious operations,SPITTING COBRA explosive ordnance destruction focus,and SALVEX diving and salvage.

MALABAR,which has been a multinational exercise,is the premier annual bilateral maritime exercise conducted to reinforce maritime tactics,techniques,and procedures TTPs of both nations.

HABU NAG is also increasing in scale and complexity,and was conducted this year in conjunction with USPACOM’s JEI to leverage the complementary characteristics of amphibious and HA/DR operations,it said.

These exercises are important vehicles in developing professional relationships and familiarity between the two navies and run the gamut of high-end naval warfare,including integrated air/missile defence,anti-surface warfare,anti-submarine warfare,and naval special warfare.

“In addition to the annual Pacific Fleet-Indian Navy Executive Steering Group meeting,we also hold regular naval bilateral staff talks,engage in port visits,and conduct personnel exchanges at all ranks,” it said,adding that the US Coast Guard had also recently begun engagement and training with the Indian Coast Guard.

The US Army’s engagement with India centres on the annual YUDH ABHYAS exercise that commenced in 2004,it said,pointing out that this was the first year the two conventional armies exercised together in India since 1962.

YUDH ABHYAS has expanded from a company-size field training exercise to battalion live fire exercises and brigade-level command post exercises. “In addition to the Executive Steering Group meeting convened annually between our armies,there have also been numerous subject matter expert exchanges on challenges of mutual concern,including countering improvised explosive devices,” the report said.

Although India does not have a direct counterpart to the US Marine Corps,the Indian Army desires engagement with the US Marine Corps to develop the capabilities of its amphibious units,the Pentagon said.

In this light exercise SHATRUJEET,that has since 2010 focused on amphibious doctrine and operations,is an annual,reciprocal,company-sized,ground field training exercise that could easily be expanded in size and scope.

Besides,COPE INDIA,meant to be held bi-annually,is the primary exercise between the two air forces,the last of which was held in Agra,in October 2009,focused on mobility operations in a humanitarian assistance scenario.

The report said that the IAF also intends to participate in RED FLAGNELLIS in 2013,likely with both fighters and airborne warning and control system aircraft.

RED FLAG is a joint,combined training exercise that provides a peacetime “battlefield” to train interoperability across a variety of mission sets,including interdiction,air superiority,defence suppression,airlift,aerial refueling,and reconnaissance. “The course of air force engagement is charted annually at the Pacific Air Forces PACAF-IAF Executive Steering Group,and several subject matter expert exchanges and exchanges are conducted annually on topics such as airfield engineering,intelligence,weapons and tactics,and flight safety,” the report said.

US Special Operations Forces SOF,Pentagon said,interacts with Indian SOF through Joint Combined Exchange Training JCET events,incorporated as part of Service- sponsored exercises MALABAR,YUDH ABHYAS,and COPE INDIA.

Another SOF exclusive exercise is VARJA PRAHAR which focuses on advanced rifle marksmanship,combat marksmanship,close-quarters combat,helicopter insertion,medical evacuation,combined mission planning,and scenario-based missions,it said.

Sale of fighter jets

In a military equipment hard-sell,the Pentagon underlined that it was still interested in selling its fighter jets to India,which recently decided against it,and is seriously exploring the potential of co-development of military weapons systems with India.

The Pentagon acknowledged that India’s recent decision not to opt for America’s F-16 and F-18 for its 126-fighter jets was a setback. “Despite this setback,we believe US aircraft,such as the Joint Strike Fighter JSF,to be the best in the world.

Should India indicate interest in the JSF,the United States would be prepared to provide information on the JSF and its requirements infrastructure,security,etc. to support India’s future planning,” the Pentagon informed the US congress.

The defense body said it is also seeking opportunities for increased science and technology cooperation that may lead to co-development opportunities with India as a partner. “The United States has taken many steps in recent years to facilitate science and technology and research and development cooperation with India. In so doing,we have signalled our unambiguous intent to pursue cooperative opportunities on increasingly sophisticated systems,” it said.

“As our relationship continues to mature,we expect co-development of armaments to become a reality,” it said.

Over the next five years,the United States will continue to establish itself as a reliable defence supplier to India and look for opportunities to enable further training and exchanges between the militaries as India continues its military modernisation.

“The Department of Defence,along with the Departments of State and Commerce,will advocate for US solutions to Indian defence needs.

We recognise that India is also seeking to build its own indigenous defence industry,and is looking for the best technologies to use in its defence sector,” it said.

“The United States wants to develop deeper defence industrial cooperation with India,including a range of cooperative research and development activities. The United States is committed to providing India with top-of-the-line technology,” the report said.

Even as the recent Indian decision on fighter jets came as a big disappointment for the US,Pentagon informed the Congress about the USD 6 billion worth of sale to India in less than a decade.

Since 2002,India has signed more than 20 Foreign Military Sales FMS cases for defence articles and services such as C-17 and C-130J aircraft,TPQ-37 radars,Self-Protection Suites SPS for VVIP aircraft,specialised tactical equipment,Harpoon missiles,Sensor-Fused Weapons,and carrier flight and test pilot school training.

“In less than a decade,and starting at zero,we have seen the FMS program grow to a combined total case value of approximately USD 6 billion,” it said.

The C-130Js delivered beginning in February 2011 are the first US military aircraft to have been delivered to India in half a century and have already been successfully employed to provide critical humanitarian assistance following an earthquake in Sikkim in September 2011,the report said.

“As part of that sale,the US Air Force USAF trained more than 100 Indian Air Force personnel — including pilots,loadmasters,and maintenance staff.

Once the C-17 contract is fulfilled,India will operate the second largest fleet of C-17s in the world,” it said.

“The former USS TRENTON,which was transferred to the Indian Navy in 2007 and christened the INS JALASHWA,has helped the Indian Navy expand its amphibious and expeditionary warfare capabilities,” the report said.