54 THE WEEK • JULY 21, 2019
DEFENCE
INDIA-US DEALSthat they would explore ways to work
through these issues.
The several defence deals on the
horizon would help. The most recent
was South Block's approval to acquire
10 more Boeing Poseidon-8I long-
range maritime reconnaissance
aircraft. The deal, worth more than
$3 billion, will be finalised under the
foreign military sales programme
with the US. Designed to protect the
vast coastline and territorial waters of
India, the P-8I can conduct anti-sub-
marine warfare, anti-surface warfare,
intelligence operations, maritime
patrol, and surveillance and recon-
naissance missions.
Official sources claimed that the
Indian Navy was already using 12
such P-8I aircraft for its maritime
surveillance and these were part of
the 312A Naval Air Squadron based
in Arakkonam in Tamil Nadu. “Addi-
tional P-8I will be armed with more
advanced features,” said an official.
Then comes the critical deal to ac-
quire 30 armed Sea Guardian (Pred-
ator-B) drones for more than $2.5
billion, for all the three services. The
US administration recently approved
the sale of Predator-B armed drones
to India. If it happens, India would
become the first country outside the
NATO alliance to get such a weapon
from Washington.
Recently, the US Senate passed a
legislative provision that puts India
at par with America's NATO allies
for the purpose of military exports,
similar to countries like Israel and
South Korea.
India and the US are also at an ad-
vanced stage of discussion to finalise
the procurement of an advanced air
defence system to protect parts of
New Delhi from hostile aircraft and
missiles. Likely to cost more than
$1 billion, the National Advanced
Surface-to-Air Missile System-II (NA-
SAMS-II) can track and shoot down
multiple aerial threats in a 9/11 type
of attack.
Pentagon has also agreed to selltwo missile defence systems to Air In-
dia One for an estimated cost of $190
million, a move that will enhance the
security of planes flying the prime
minister and the president.
Another deal on the anvil is the
sale of 24 MH 60 Romeo Seahawk
helicopters for about $2.6 billion.
The helicopters, built by Lockheed
Martin's Sikorsky Aircraft, will be pro-
cured under the 'government-to-gov-
ernment' route. Official sources claim
that an agreement will be finalised
in a few months and delivery can be
expected by next year.
Another proposal is to buy six
more Apache attack helicopters
worth $1billion. Apache, a twin-en-
gined helicopter, is operated by two
pilots and, with its array of modern
electronics, it is considered one of the
most advanced combat helicopters.
Additionally, the Indian Navy
needs 57 multi-role combat fight-
er jets, and Boeing's F/A18 jets
are being considered for this role.
Lockheed Martin has also offered
to make its F-21 jets exclusive to the
Indian Air Force. The F-21 is in the
race to get the IAF's 114 mediummulti-role jets tender.
“I think the BJP administration has
the political flexibility to more seri-
ously engage with Lockheed Martin's
F-21 offer, including determining
the level of support within the US
administration for India's selection
of this package,” Frank O’Donnell,
fellow at the US Naval War College,
told The WEEK. “However, the
planned relocation of the global
manufacturing hub (F-16 production
line) to India, and the job losses that
would likely follow in the US, is a real
[obstacle for the deal]. Delhi should
not be shy in referring to the S-400
case and highlighting that the US
needs to make competitive advanced
technologies available to India if it
wants Delhi to curtail buying Russian
technologies, rather than decrying a
Russian offer with no competitive US
counter-offer.”
Said Harsh V. Pant, head of the
strategic studies programme at the
Observer Research Foundation and
a professor of international relations
at King's College London: “Defence
is the strongest part of the India-US
relationship at the moment. Even
if relations are less than positive on
trade and geopolitical issues like Iran,
defence is something where both
countries have an interest and I think
India has been able to accommodate
American interests. The trajectory
indicates that there is a clear shift in
where India is buying from.”
Also, at a time when the Agust-
aWestland VVIP chopper deal with
an Anglo-Italian firm or the Rafale
jet deal with France have been mired
in allegations of corruption, India's
defence deals with Washington have
been noncontroversial.
Defence analysts, however, say
that it is going to be a tightrope walk
for India while deciding upcoming
defence acquisitions. “Americans will
step up pressure relentlessly,” said a
defence official. “US weaponry is very
expensive compared with Russian
defence acquisitions.”While the
AgustaWestland
VVIP chopper
deal and the
Rafale deal have
been mired in
controversy,
India’s deals with
the US have been
noncontroversial.