India and the United States are planning to revive the Defense Policy Group (DPG) between the two countries after a gap of four years, which discusses the lessons of the Basic Exchanges and Cooperation Agreement (BCEA), the main items of the agenda Is one of them. According to senior officials familiar with the matter.
BECA will allow India to utilize US geospatial maps to achieve the accuracy of weapons, such as automated hardware systems and cruise and ballistic missiles. With the Communication Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA), and the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA), BECA is one of the military found
ational communications agreements between the two countries.
LEMOA, which allows Indian and American defense forces to use each other's facilities and establishes procedures for easy access to supplies and services required by them, was signed in 2016.
COMCASA, which allows the US to transfer communication equipment in India, which permits the transmission of data and real-time information between the armed forces of the two countries, the seal was done to last year's Two-Plus-Two Talks in Washington.
BECA is an important precursor to India, which acquires armed unmanned aerial vehicles like Predator-B from the US. In 2018, the Pentagon was ready to supply Predator-B, which uses spatial data for exact attacks on enemy targets to India.
After talking to the officials in New Delhi and Washington, the Pentagon proposed to hold the DPG meeting this month, but the final decision is being taken by Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The last DPG was organized in 2015 under the chairmanship of US Secretary of Defense for Defense Secretary and policy.
The decision to revive the DPG was taken in the Two-PlusTwo meeting between the foreign and defense ministers of the two countries last September.
If the DPG meeting is held in April, defense secretary Sanjay Mitra, who was involved in inking COMCASA, will be meeting US undersecretary of defense for policy John Rood.
According to South Block officials, DPG will review the reports of existing sub-groups – Military Cooperation Group, Joint Technology Group, Senior Security Technology Group, and Defense Purchase and Production Group. However, the main item on the agenda will be the BECA text. Although initially, India had reservations for geospatial mapping on the basis of national security, the Modi government has made its mind to sign the BECA, provided its concerns have been overcome.
Officials said that DPG will only create the future roadmap for joint advanced exercises between the two countries, and will see the possibility of technical cooperation in the construction of military hardware under Make in India.
India wants to buy from US Navy helicopters and multi-role fighters to meet the shortfall of IAF's fighters. Acquisition of aerial platforms for India with China and Pakistan is an important priority so that more teeth can be added to their military capabilities.
