NEW DELHI; Indo-U.S defense cooperation is likely 0 grow in view of the convergence of geo political and strategic interests in the Asia Pacific region according to official sources.
While the “kick lighter proposals” spell out the American brief on defense cooperation, India’s defense perception was given to the Admiral Chuck Arson, US Pacific fleet commander, during his recent visit o Delhi.
In this context the proposed visit of the U.S military delegation led by L.t Gen Johnny Coms, U.S army commander in the Pacific, to India, for the first Indo US defense “steering committee meeting, in January 1992, assumes significance. The Indian delegation will be led by the vice-chief of the army staff and have representatives from the extremely affairs ministry.
Although weapons and force multipliers” needed by India will not figure in the steering
Committee meeting are request for these, {is not ruled out. “Force multipliers enhance the capabilities of weapon systems like night-firing devices and sophisticated radars.
MAJOR PLAYER: Amid the changing geopolitical and geo military realities, especially in the Indian Ocean and he Asia-Pacific region and in the light of President Bush’s new world order, Washington now views India as a “major player in the region. The likely loss of Subic and Clark bases in the Philippines, the commitment to scale down its 40,000 U.S troops from South Korea, the growing. Japanese role, defiant China equivocal relations with Pakistan, the paring of defense budget and the need for dependable regional allies have made Washington to view India as a “major player”. It is, therefore, natural that Indo-US defense cooperation should begin with the Indian army, later, to be extended to two other services, the sources observe. While the “kickleighter propos als’ limit the scope of Indo-U.S defense cooperation to include exchange of more officers between the two countries, the recent American defense offers can be said to be reasonable, according to the sources.
The American offer of weapons, such as self-propelled guns (M109A6HIP) offered during Gen S.F. Rodrigues visit 10 on, is unlikely to be taken up by India. India has shown preference for the British AS90 self-propelled gun and it is coming to India for trials next year. However, the offer of “force multipliers”, in the wake of the Gulf war, may be irresistible, according to the sources. The army needs to upgrade its air defense systems and refit tanks with fire control systems and thermal imagers for night Fighting capabilities.
In this context, the American offer of its highly sophisticated ANTPQ36 and ANTPQ37 scanning radars assumes significance. Each piece is to cost $10 million.
Pakistan has 6 t0 8 such radars while India uses the slow and static sound ranging procedures to Iocate-hostile gun locations.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 29, 1991
