India-US Naval Cooperation and the visit of US Secretary of Navy Carlos Del Toro
India and the United States of America (USA) due to their shared value interests and the convergence of policies have led to their bilateral engagement being termed a “global strategic partnership”. In the past few years, India’s emphasis on the issue of development and governance has created more opportunities to revitalize their bilateral engagements.
The two summit-level meetings between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former US President Barack Obama held in September 2014 and January 2015 released a joint public statement calling the India-U.S. relationship an “Enduring Global Partners in the 21st Century” [1]. The momentum of defence and security cooperation between India and the USA has been sustained through multiple ministerial-level visits along with dialogues that act as a long-term cooperative framework for India-US cooperation. The traditionally maintained defence relations between India and the USA were strengthened with a series of agreements like the Defence Framework Agreement in 2015, the accord of “Defence Partner Status” in June 2016, LEMOA in 2016, the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) in September 2018 and the recently signed BECA. As of today, the cooperation between the two countries is now multisectoral which covers multiple aspects of defence and security like technology, cyber security, civil nuclear energy, space technology, and applications.
India-US Naval Cooperation:
The past few years have showcased increased bilateral engagement between India and the USA in terms of the maritime sphere with the Indo-Pacific being a region of contention. Indian naval prowess was showcased on 31 March 2021, when the Indian Navy finished a two-day Passage Exercise (PASSEX) [2]. These latest exercises were meant to achieve synergy and interoperability similar to the Malabar exercises of November 2020. India in addition to other military exercises has been conducting tri-service exercises since 2019. Naval relations between India and USA have been a crucial component in defence cooperation between the two nations hinting at a robust relationship between the Indian and the US Navy.
USA has been an advocate of India being the net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) which is evident in multiple US strategic policies. The Quadrennial Defense Review of 2010 and the Asia-Pacific Maritime Security Strategy of 2015 are two instances where the US has advocated India’s role as an NSP in the IOR. Further, the Indo-Pacific Strategy Report (IPSR) of 2019 states that both USA and India use the deepening relations among them to foster new forms of partnerships that go beyond the Indo-Pacific. The United States Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific (SFIP) reveals the American perception or assumption of the Indian role in the Indo-Pacific. The Framework highlights a “Strong India, in cooperation with like-minded countries, would act as a counterbalance to China”. Further, the Framework also establishes India as a prominent partner in South Asia taking the lead role in the security dynamics of the IOR.
It must be noted that while the USA overtly supports India’s position as a net security provider in the IOR, there exists a crucial operational gap between statements and execution due to multiple factors like differing visions and contradictory stands on certain issues. For instance, the USA took Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs) against India against Indian regulations of security jurisdiction claimed in the 24 nm contiguous zone, prior notification or authorization for entering of foreign warships in the territorial sea, and prior consent or authorization required for military exercises or maneuvers in the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) [3]. This showcases the dissonance in American policies in the maritime domain towards India where on one hand, the USA seeks to engage with India based on similar principles and ensuing free and open Indo-Pacific, while on the other hand, its FONOPs against India are as similar to any hostile nation for which it seeks alignment with India.
Agreements in Defence Cooperation:
India-US naval relations were strengthened with the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) which allows a reciprocation in the use of other nations’ military bases. The robustness of India-US cooperation is further amplified by other foundational agreements that the USA signs with its defence partners like Communication Interoperability and Security Memorandum Agreement (CISMOA) and Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geo-Spatial Cooperation (BECA). While India was initially reluctant to officially sign the foundational agreements, former U.S. Defence Secretary Leon Panetta, unlike his predecessors, stated that he does not see the absence of such foundational agreements between India and the USA as an obstacle to further bilateral defence cooperation and that the decision-makers on the Indian side need to consider the practical benefits of such agreements from the viewpoint of Indian national interests [4].
The LEMOA includes a number of checks and balances and numerous provisions that prevent India from entering a military alliance with the US by allowing it the right to refuse any joint military activity and does not put India under any obligation to offer support whether logistically or operationally overseas. The LEMOA holds a crucial maritime component and follows other bilaterally signed maritime agreements such as maritime security dialogue, the technical arrangement for sharing information on merchant shipping, and the agreement on India as a major defence partner. Here, it is important to note an existing issue with LEMOA where the US Navy as per policies can neither confirm nor deny the presence of onboard nuclear weapons when they are at foreign ports to obtain logistical support. This policy of the US Navy led to a 30-year-long political impasse with New Zealand. The impasse only ended with domestic legislation forbidding nuclear-armed or nuclear-powered ships to enter New Zealand waters. In response, the USA imposed sanctions, and declared New Zealand “a friend, but not an ally” essentially altering the very nature of the ANZUS Treaty (Australia, New Zealand, and the United States) [5].
Recent Developments:
In August 2022, INS Satpura, an indigenously designed and built Indian naval warship docked on the US West Coast in San Diego. INS Satpura is a guided missile stealth frigate weighing 6000 tons and is designed to seek and destroy targets on land, air, and underwater. This event was marked historic as this was the first time ever an Indian ship has ever docked itself in an American port while it has been two decades that an Indian naval ship ever made a visit to the United States [6]. Following this event, Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandu remarked that the navy-to-navy cooperation between India and the USA is one of the most and significant components of defence ties between the two countries. He further added that such developments have reinforced the interoperability and trust factor with the expanding scope of engagements most prominently the Malabar exercises among others like the RIMPAC 22 and MILAN 22. This event was also attended by the US Secretary of Navy Carlos Del Toro, and Vice Admiral Kenneth Ray Whitsekll, Commander of Naval Air Forces.
Carlos Del Toro’s visit to India and the way forward:
The visit of US Secretary of Navy Carlos Del Toro to India on 17-21 November happens to be at an interesting time. Not only the USA has been overtly acknowledging India as a strategic partner in the maritime domain but has also been advocating India’s role in the region as an emerging power as well as a net security provider. In this light, the possible avenues of further engagements between the two nations are opportunities for more maritime cooperation. Hence, it could be contemplated that Del Toro’s visit can pave way for more such naval engagements possibly in relation to Quad. Upon his arrival, Secretary Del Toro laid a wreath at the National War Memorial in New Delhi [7]. Later, he was received by Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane and they engaged in a discussion regarding more strategic cooperation between India and the USA. Del Toro took to Twitter to convey information about his meeting with Mr. Aramane stating that the defence partnership between both countries is the pillar of a free and open Indo-Pacific. Del Toro’s visit to India will last five days which will include interactions with Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral R Hari, and a visit to the Southern Naval Command of the Indian navy and INS Vikrant at the Cochin Shipyard [8].
Conclusion:
As of now the official visit by the Secretary does not hint at any major developments or announcements. Secretary Del Toro’s schedule also hints at more inward cooperation between the two navies rather than addressing any common threat. Here, it must be noted that even while looking at the visit in the context of Quad, the official public statements only mention free and open Indo-Pacific and there is no mention of China or its assertiveness in the region in any public releases. However, this position of both India and the USA stays consistent with the position in the past. In this light, it can be said that Secretary Del Toro’s visit is likely to be aimed at opening further avenues of cooperation and engagement between the navies of the two countries.
Endnotes:
1. “Brief on India-US Relations”, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India https://www.mea.gov.in/Portal/ForeignRelation/India_US_brief.pdf
2. Rushali Saha, Deepening Indi-US Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, Defence and Diplomacy, Journal of the Center for Air Power Studies, Vol 10, No. 3, April-June2021 https://capsindia.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Deepening-Indo-US.pdf
3. Dr. Vijay Shukla, “India-US Naval Cooperation gathers Momentum Despite Doubts”, Rising Powers Initiative, September 2016 https://www.risingpowersinitiative.org/publication/india-u-s-naval-cooperation-gathers-momentum-despite-doubts/
4. Ajay Kumar Das, “India-US Maritime Partnership: Time to Move Forward”, S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, August 2012 https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/152133/RSIS_POLICYBRIEF_A4_160812.pdf
5. Anurag Bisen, “India-United States Maritime Collaboration”, Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses, April 2022 https://www.idsa.in/backgrounder/india-united-states-maritime-collaboration-abisen-080422
6. “‘Navy-to-Navy cooperation one of the most dynamic, significant components for India-U.S. defence ties’: Ambassador Sandhu”, The Hindu, 25 August 22 https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/navy-to-navy-cooperation-one-of-the-most-dynamic-significant-components-for-india-us-defence-ties-ambassador-sandhu/article65809269.ece
7. “US Navy Secretary lays wreath at National War Memorial”, The Print, 18 November 2022 https://theprint.in/world/us-navy-secretary-lays-wreath-at-national-war-memorial/1223058/
8. PIB Delhi, “Mr Carlos Del Toro, Secretary of Navy, United States visit to India”, Press Information Bureau, Government of India https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1877038
Pic Courtsey-Dimitry Anikin at unsplash.com
(The views expressed are those of the author and do not represent views of CESCUBE.)