India signs landmark defence pact with U.S.

India signs landmark defence pact with U.S.

News:

1. India and the United States signed the landmark Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) on tuesday.

Important Facts:

2. With COMCASA, till now, India has concluded three of the four foundational agreements with U.S.:

General Security Of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) in 2002

The Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016 and

The Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) in 2018

3. The pact will lead to a new generation of bilateral military partnership and facilitate India to access advanced defence systems.

4. It will allow the U.S. to transfer specialised equipment for encrypted communications for U.S.-origin platforms like C-17, C-130 and P-8I aircraft.

5. It comes into force immediately and is valid for 10 years.

6. COMCASA will allow to specially designate a person-in-charge in U.S. Central Command for coordination between India and the United States.

7. COMCASA has been signed under the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue held between India and the U.S..

8. Outcomes of 2+2 Ministerial dialogue:

• Both India and US called on Pakistan to stop terrorist strikes on ‘other countries’.
• Maritime freedom in the Indo-Pacific region was also urged in the dialogue.
• India and the U.S. will also hold a first-ever tri service joint exercise on the east coast of India in 2019.
• Negotiations on an Industrial Security Annex (ISA) which would allow Indian private sector to collaborate with the U.S. defence industry will be carried out.
• Under GSOMIA, sharing of classified information from the U.S. government and American companies with the Indian government and defence Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) but not with Indian private companies, has been agreed.
• A Memorandum of Intent was signed between the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit (DIU).
• The Innovation for Defence Excellence (DIO-iDEX), will be assigned to look into joint projects for co-production and co-development projects through the Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI).

9. India’s side:

India will have a full access to the relevant equipment and there will be no disruptions.

Data acquired through such systems cannot be disclosed or transferred to any person or entity without India’s consent.

National security interests of each other, will be maintained, implementing the agreement.

10. U.S. side:

The U.S. wants ‘free, fair and reciprocal trade’ and asked India to rectify the American trade deficit.

U.S. asked India to reduce the trade barriers for American countries.

India and the U.S. have been in a deadlock over trade after the Trump administration wanted India to do additional purchases of $10 billion annually for the next three years.

• Explaining the imposition of Section 231 of CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act), US explained that the provisions will be appropriate and lawful, and the sanctions aren’t intended to adversely impact countries like India.