AGL 38.41 Decreased By ▼ -0.07 (-0.18%)
AIRLINK 198.90 Decreased By ▼ -4.12 (-2.03%)
BOP 10.00 Decreased By ▼ -0.17 (-1.67%)
CNERGY 6.41 Decreased By ▼ -0.13 (-1.99%)
DCL 9.37 Decreased By ▼ -0.21 (-2.19%)
DFML 39.35 Decreased By ▼ -0.67 (-1.67%)
DGKC 98.00 Decreased By ▼ -0.08 (-0.08%)
FCCL 35.51 Increased By ▲ 0.55 (1.57%)
FFBL 86.97 Increased By ▲ 0.54 (0.62%)
FFL 13.62 Decreased By ▼ -0.28 (-2.01%)
HUBC 129.70 Decreased By ▼ -1.87 (-1.42%)
HUMNL 13.99 Decreased By ▼ -0.03 (-0.21%)
KEL 5.27 Decreased By ▼ -0.34 (-6.06%)
KOSM 7.31 Increased By ▲ 0.04 (0.55%)
MLCF 45.33 Decreased By ▼ -0.26 (-0.57%)
NBP 61.50 Decreased By ▼ -4.88 (-7.35%)
OGDC 214.00 Decreased By ▼ -6.76 (-3.06%)
PAEL 39.40 Increased By ▲ 0.92 (2.39%)
PIBTL 8.56 Decreased By ▼ -0.35 (-3.93%)
PPL 191.00 Decreased By ▼ -6.88 (-3.48%)
PRL 40.65 Increased By ▲ 1.62 (4.15%)
PTC 25.59 Increased By ▲ 0.12 (0.47%)
SEARL 106.21 Increased By ▲ 3.16 (3.07%)
TELE 8.76 Decreased By ▼ -0.26 (-2.88%)
TOMCL 36.48 Increased By ▲ 0.07 (0.19%)
TPLP 14.02 Increased By ▲ 0.27 (1.96%)
TREET 24.90 Decreased By ▼ -0.22 (-0.88%)
TRG 56.21 Decreased By ▼ -1.83 (-3.15%)
UNITY 33.50 Decreased By ▼ -0.17 (-0.5%)
WTL 1.64 Decreased By ▼ -0.07 (-4.09%)
BR100 11,830 Decreased By -60.1 (-0.51%)
BR30 36,797 Decreased By -559.1 (-1.5%)
KSE100 109,831 Decreased By -1239.8 (-1.12%)
KSE30 34,535 Decreased By -373.6 (-1.07%)

WASHINGTON: The United States unveiled agreements this week to sell weapons to India and share with it sensitive military technology, a clear sign of the Biden administration’s desire to deepen ties with New Delhi to counter China’s ambitions in Asia.

But those plans, announced on Thursday during a state visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and future defense cooperation face significant challenges from the U.S. government’s own weapons export rules.

The Biden administration says sweeping agreements on semiconductors, critical minerals, technology, space and defense cooperation and sales will ring in a new era in relations.

They include what one official called a “trailblazing” deal to allow General Electric Co (GE.N) to produce jet engines in India to power Indian military aircraft and a plan for India to procure U.S.-made General Atomics armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones.

Dozens of US lawmakers urge Biden to raise rights issues with Modi: letter

Standing in the way are strict U.S. rules governing export of defense technology, including International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).

These make defense cooperation hard even with long-time U.S. allies Britain and Australia in the AUKUS deal signed earlier this year to supply the latter with nuclear-powered submarines.

Ely Ratner, assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific affairs, has stressed the need to break down barriers to technology sharing with allies and partners, including India.

“Frankly, for the United States and regional security as well … it can’t be business as usual anymore,” he told a June 8 event at the Center for a New American Security think tank.

Defence, critical tech on agenda as India’s Modi heads to US for landmark visit

Uphill battle for tech sharing

On Thursday, the co-chairs of the U.S. Senate India Caucus, Democrat Mark Warner and Republican John Cornyn, introduced legislation that would streamline defense sales to India, including by halving the time that Congress has to block any arms sale to the country to 15 days.

But one congressional aide said efforts to speed technology sharing with India would face “an uphill battle” both in the U.S. Congress and at the U.S. State Department, where officials have a specific obligation to protect U.S. technology.

“There are concerns about (technology sharing) in the Australia context and there would be more concerns in the India context,” he said. “Australia is an ally. India wants the same privileges that allies get without having any of the same obligations or responsibilities.”

US and India agree defence industry cooperation plan

The source noted that India wanted access to sensitive technologies that many of the closest U.S. allies do not have, even while sticking to its stance of maintaining close relations with Russia and refusing to condemn Moscow’s Ukraine invasion.

Bill Greenwalt, a former senior Pentagon official for industrial policy, said approvals for the jet engine deal and for the military drones should be relatively straightforward, although it appeared GE was still in the process of getting export authorization, which would come with State Department-mandated restrictions.

“Complicating factors include to what degree congressional review and approval thresholds kick in. I expect that likely will happen for the SeaGuardians,” said Greenwalt, adding that the U.S. Missile Technology Control Regime was an added likely complication.

Limits on technology use

And there is another factor: how willingly India will accept the restrictions that may come along with any technology it receives from the U.S.

Greenwalt said the conditions ITAR attaches to use of technology and the limits it imposes on India’s ability to add its own intellectual property to what it learns from that could mean New Delhi “quickly grows tired of being dictated to by the U.S. State Department.”

US to ease visas for skilled Indian workers as Modi visits

He added that given India’s growing IT expertise, it had the potential to leapfrog the United States in areas such as integrated command and control, sensor fusion, autonomy, and data analytics.

“Together we could likely make a lot more progress than if we pursue separate paths, but ITAR disincentives will keep them from cooperating with us on things that matter while our over-confidence will keep us from seeing their potential,” said Greenwalt.

Rick Rossow, an India expert at Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies, said approval processes for advanced defense technology transfer were “onerous but not impossible.”

“The U.S. — with great effort — can move faster for India,” he said. “But we need India’s deal-making process to move fast, too. Otherwise, potential deals will not be accelerated on our side.”

Comments

Comments are closed.

Pakistani1 Jun 23, 2023 07:07pm
When it is convenient, human rights become a big issue and when it is not, it is easily forgotten. The two faces of the western countries are quite amazing!
thumb_up Recommended (0)
Mohsin Jun 24, 2023 06:59pm
1970/1971: Indra Ghandi visits Washington...Yahya Kha remains clueless...fall of east Pakistan! 2022/2023: Modi is in Washington....Pakistani Generals remain clueless after committing blunder after blunder...after economic meltdown...a new script is ready to unfold for the clueless Pakistani generals.
thumb_up Recommended (0)