2+2 is less than the sum of its parts?

2+2 is less than the sum of its parts?

Article:

1. M.K. Narayanan, former National Security Advisor has discussed the outcome and implication of the 2+2 summit.

Important Analysis:

2. Defence and Foreign Minister of India and U.S concluded 2+2 summit on 6^th Sept, 2018.
3. 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.
4. 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.