Understanding NATO plus formation-Will India gain or lose?

Currently, it is a grouping of NATO and its five partner countries i.e., Australia, Israel, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand. The platform was formalized in 2019 and its primary goal is to enhance defence cooperation among NATO’s global partners. The grouping was introduced in the context of the rising Chinese threat.

Why NATO plus talks? – 

India may improve its defence capabilities, gain from improved interoperability with other members, and forge closer connections with important Western democracies by joining NATO Plus. Finally, India's involvement might aid in addressing shared security issues including terrorism, maritime security, and regional stability. Overall, the inclusion of India into NATO Plus would expand the alliance's influence internationally, advance increased regional security, and encourage tighter ties between India and NATO member nations.

Deepening defence collaboration: It would strengthen defence cooperation between the United States and India. India would have access to these nations' seamless intelligence sharing. India will get immediate access to cutting-edge military technology from the US. It would boost India's defence ties with the US even further.

Counterbalancing China: The entry of India into NATO will serve to offset China's dominance in the Indo-Pacific. Though the move will not make India an official member of NATO, it would prove the symbolism of India-USA cooperation in countering China’s dominance in the Indo-Pacific region. ‘Swing state’ India is considered the perfect counterbalance for China in USA’s strategic ambitions.

Extending NATO's reach: Including India would broaden NATO's worldwide footprint and handle Indo-Pacific security problems. With USA's strategic focus moving towards Indo-Pacific, expansion of NATO in the region to include regional power would benefit USA’s strategic goals. Criteria for inclusion of the ambitious country in the past had been subject to change from time to time. In India’s case, ambitious to make it NATO’s partner in more external needs than internal demand in the country.

Improving regional stability: Though traditional war returned in Europe first time after World War II in the form of the Russia-Ukraine War, the fact that NATO prevented traditional warfare in Europe for seven decades cannot be denied. India’s inclusion will help in making South Asia, one of the most unstable regions after the Middle East, more stable. India's participation will help to boost regional stability.

Benefits for India- India is looking for self-reliance in defence sector, so becoming a member of NATO Plus Five might help in enhancing India’s capacity in the military sphere . Joining NATO Plus Five would provide India with various benefits, including:

1. Increased intelligence sharing and security cooperation: India's membership in NATO Plus Five would allow for greater intelligence and security cooperation with NATO and its partner countries. Through this partnership, India will be able to take advantage of the knowledge, resources, and experience of NATO members and its allies in fending off diverse security challenges. India can improve its situational awareness and adapt to new security problems by exchanging intelligence. Furthermore, by gaining access to the most recent technology transfer from these nations, India will be able to strengthen its defence capabilities and keep up with changing security trends.

2. Access to advanced military technology: India's accession to NATO Plus Five will speed up its access to state-of-the-art military hardware. The superior defence technology that NATO members and its allies possess may considerably improve India's defence capability. India would be able to obtain technology more swiftly through accelerated transfer procedures, allowing for a quicker modernization of its armed forces. India's defence stance would be strengthened by having access to cutting-edge military technologies, which would also help it adapt to new threats and challenges.

3. Strengthened defence cooperation: Being a member of NATO Plus Five will improve India's defence connections with the US and other NATO partners, resulting in closer coordination on different defence initiatives. Joint military training exercises, training programs, and defence research and development projects would all be a part of this expanded defence collaboration. India would have the chance to benefit from their experience, improve interoperability with their armed forces, and forge tighter defence connections through working with NATO and its allies. In the end, this would help to improve India's defence capabilities and promote more stability in the area.

4. Improved regional security: India's participation in NATO Plus Five will help to boost regional security, especially in the Indo-Pacific area. The alliance would strive to address regional security issues by promoting cooperation amongst like-minded nations. Among these can be difficulties with regional stability, terrorism, marine security, and other non-traditional security concerns. A better and more secure environment for India and its neighbouring nations might be ensured by NATO Plus Five members by coordinating efforts and sharing resources to increase their collective capacity to respond to these problems.

5. Strengthened deterrent against enemies: India's deterrent capabilities against prospective foes would be strengthened by membership in NATO Plus Five, especially in view of the region's rising security problems. As a deterrence, the alliance's collective defence posture and member cooperation would convey a loud and unambiguous warning that any action against India would be met with a powerful and unifying response. This strengthened deterrent impact can aid in preventing prospective foes from taking unfriendly action, promoting regional stability, and defending India's national security objectives.

Overall, joining NATO Plus Five would provide India with a number of advantages, such as improved security cooperation, access to cutting-edge military technologies, expanded defence cooperation, higher regional security, and a stronger deterrence against adversaries. These benefits will strengthen India's position as a regional security supplier, encourage efforts to modernise its military and promote tighter connections with NATO members and its partner countries.

India’s stand on the inclusion in NATO Pus Five – S Jaishankar, India's External Affairs Minister, recently said that India has no intention of joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), which is dominated by Western countries. According to Jaishankar, the military alliance is unsuitable for India.

‘Strategic autonomy’ has always topped South Block’s foreign policy goals. India preferably avoided joining any alliance during the cold war era, so even continuing the policy in the 21st century. Ambitions to counter China in South Asia on its own terms might be the aim that economically growing India wants to pursue. S Jaishankar rejecting the proposed NATO Plus Five membership is concrete evidence of continuity in Indian strategic thought of not being part of any security alliance. Therefore, strategic partnership, rather than membership in the transatlantic alliance, might be what New Delhi considers as viable option. 

Reference-

1. Senate India Caucus to push for ‘NATO plus five’ status for India. (2023, June 21). Senate India Caucus to Push for ‘NATO Plus Five’ Status for India - the Hindu. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/senate-india-caucus-to-introduce-bill-to-add-india-to-nato-plus-bloc/article66992764.ece
2. Times, G. (2023, June 9). NATO+ exposes US impatience with India’s independent policy and NATO’s malevolent expansion ambitions - Global Times. NATO+ Exposes US Impatience With India’s Independent Policy and NATO’s Malevolent Expansion Ambitions - Global Times. https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202306/1292281.shtml
3. L. (2023, June 9). ‘India capable of countering Chinese aggression on its own’, says Jaishankar. Mint. https://www.livemint.com/news/india-capable-of-countering-chinese-aggression-refuses-to-join-nato-says-s-jaishankar-11686288765836.html
4. Saballa, J. (2023, June 6). US Pushes for India’s Inclusion in NATO Plus. The Defense Post. https://www.thedefensepost.com/2023/06/06/us-india-inclusion-nato/

Pic Courtesy-Marck Studzinski at unsplash.com

(The views expressed are those of the author and do not represent views of CESCUBE.)