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2+2 is less than the sum of its parts?
Article:
- M.K. Narayanan, former National Security Advisor has discussed the outcome and implication of the 2+2 summit.
Important Analysis:
- Defence and Foreign Minister of India and U.S concluded 2+2 summit on 6th Sept, 2018.
- In author’s views, U.S has been the main beneficiary with this dialogue because US opted for India to balance China’s growing influence.
- Benefit to India:
- Communications, Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) – Facilitate India’s access to advance defense system of U.S and Allow Army of both countries to enhance interoperability.
- Under COMCASA India hopes to secure state-of-art items such as Weaponized Sea Guardian Drone and Armed Predator-B
- U.S also offering to transfer specialized equipment for encrypted communication for U.S. origin platforms like C-17, C-130 and P-8I aircraft.
5. Negative implication of 2+2 dialogue on India:
- India’s obligation to share operational intelligence in real time.
- India may come under further pressure on signing the fourth foundational security agreement which is Basic Exchange and Co-operation Agreement for Geo-Spatial Co-Operation (BECA), after already signing the other 3 security agreements.
6. Expected outcomes in the future:
- U. S’s defense innovation Organization Unit and India’s Defense Innovation Organization intend to progress on joint projects for production and development of Defense technology.
7. Grey areas for India:
- U.S has designated India as a strategic partner but has not yet cleared if there would be any relief on sanctions imposed by it on trading with Russia and Iran.
- Any new defense purchase from Russia will attract Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
- India is interpreting the purchase of S-400 missile defense system from Russia will not attract CAATSA.
8. Why tilting towards U.S is Danger
- China emerging as a second biggest world power.
- Re-emergence of Russia.
- U.S “strategic retreat” in Asia, such as failure of ‘Pivot to Asia’ and Trump’s ‘America First Policy’ signalling losing of US’s interest in Asia.
- U.S.’s ineffectiveness to check China’s ambition in Indo-Pacific region.
- U.S.’s inability to check China’s action in South-China Sea dispute.
9 .India’s core interest in 2+2 dialogue:
- To develop strategic integrity to contain Chinese aggression through force.
- To deal with nuclear threat posed by Pakistan.
