India-USA military agreement in offing (Target China? Indian & S. Pacific Ocean bases)

India-Defence ^ | NewsInsight

[Srirangan]

India-USA military agreement in offing (Original Article)

Asia-Pacific | China | Intelligence Reports | Navy | USA

7 June 2005: In return for access to sixteen US bases in the South Pacific, India will offer refueling, berthing, maintenance and R&R facilities to the American forces in Mumbai, Kochi, Vishakapatnam, and possibly the Andamans, and prime minister Manmohan Singh may agree to this when he visits the United States shortly.

First proposed in 1999, this agreement hung fire, until defence minister Pranab Mukherjee and the US defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, accepted this in principle, while clarifying each side’s goal in this, and India is clear about extending its naval reach to the South China Sea and the Pacific.

The Indian Navy has failed to make any breakthrough in area familiarisation with friendly South East Asian navies, and the access to US bases in the South Pacific would facilitate this some way, and India is also considering the wisdom of Rumsfeld’s observation to Mukherjee that an expanded Indian Navy would bring economic benefits and create assets while the army and air force drain resources.

[Srirangan]

Definitely this is targetted at the Chicoms..

[Srirangan]

In a related note:

Thailand keen on BrahMos, Indo-Thai Naval Exercises

6 June 2005: While India has agreed for joint naval exercises with Thailand in October in the Malacca Strait, it will consider requests for arms export, and these could include the Indo-Russian BrahMos missile, the Lakshya UAV, upgraded T-72 tanks, and other equipment.

Thailand is the fourteenth country to seek the BrahMos, and officials said any export would have to be jointly agreed between India and Russia, and from request to final agreement could take upto four years, but Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is pushing for closer political and military-to-military relations with India.

India sees Thailand as one of several South East Asian allies who would be needed for successful advance of the “Look East Policy” and for the navy’s push into the South China Sea and the Pacific, and officials said the first of the bases necessary for that blue-water expansion could be eventually set up in Thailand.

Officials said that Shinawatra is keen for higher military contacts with India, at the level of the general staff, and he is seeking Indian assistance in the domain of defence strategy and planning, and meanwhile, the first batch of Thai cadets would commence training in Indian military institutions from March 2006.

[gogogodzilla]

Sweet, the Andamans. Now that's a great place for R&R.

Not to mention that the prices won't bankrupt a serviceman.

[Srirangan]

More info on the Brahmos Supersonic Cruise Missile

[familyop]

Although India does need a strong air force and army, building a stronger navy is a good idea. China wants the ocean routes there in the near future more than anything else.

[Gengis Khan]

The Free Republic India and Indo-US Issues Ping !
Freepmail me if you want on/off.

[phoenix_004]

Greater co-operation between the navies of the two democracies is the logical step forward....After all any plan that screws china is a good plan!!!

[Gengis Khan]

This time we will stab the Chicoms behind their backs. Avenge 1962 war.

[phoenix_004]

Great!!!! I love that idea!!!!