India and the United States have signed on a landmark defence agreement (LEMOA) that will increase the military cooperation between two of the world’s largest democracies.
India has signed the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) with the US which will allow both of their militaries to work closely, allowing them to use each other’s bases for repair and replenishment of supplies.
It doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with the setting up of a base, though.
Basically it is about a protocol that allows both sides to exchange logistic supplies. The classic example is if, say, an Indian naval ship is in Southeast Asia and needs fuel at short notice, and a US tanker is in the near vicinity — the latter can provide the fuel to the Indian vessel.
But this does not imply we become a US military ally. We are not obliged to provide support to any and every US military operation in the region. Every LEMOA arrangement has to be negotiated in advance.
It will be more useful in case of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. It does make you a partner in terms of providing public good.
The logistics agreement between the two countries was first proposed in 2003 but India did not agree to its signing until earlier this year.
