Target
Next: Indian Military Bases
By Josy Joseph
in New Delhi
Rediff.com
April 23, 2003
A classified
report commissioned by the United States Department of Defence, a copy
of which is available with rediff.com, states that the country wants
access to Indian bases and military infrastructure with the United States
Air Force specifically desiring the establishment of airbases in India.
The report on
the future of Indo-US military relations, being distributed among decision-makers
in the United States and made available to a handful of senior members
of the Indian government, also speaks of the USAF's desire for 'having
access closer to areas of instability'.
"American
military officers are candid in their plans to eventually seek access
to Indian bases and military infrastructure. India's strategic location
in the centre of Asia, astride the frequently traveled Sea Lanes of
Communication (SLOC) linking the Middle East and East Asia, makes India
particularly attractive to the US military," the report says.
The report can
be distributed only with the permission of Director, Net Assessment,
Office of the Secretary of Defence. The report is the most comprehensive
picture of American perspective of its military relation with India
and its future aspirations. To some extent it also uncovers Indian military
thinking vis-à-vis the US.
It has quoted
US lieutenant generals as saying that the access to India bases would
enable the US military 'to be able to touch the rest of the world' and
to 'respond rapidly to regional crises'.
The report,
prepared by Juli A MacDonald, an associate at Booz Allen Hamilton, for
the department of defence, is based on interviews of 42 key Americans,
including 23 active military officers, 15 government officials and four
others.
In India MacDonald
met 10 active Indian military officers and five government officials
besides several members of the National Security Council, and outside
experts advising the government. For understandable reasons, none of
the individuals are identified by name, but by their ranks or other
positions. The report points out that many American military planners
are thinking about 'different sets of allies and friends for addressing
a future strategic environment in Asia that may be dramatically different
from today'.
"For many,
India is the most attractive alternative. For this reasons, several
Americans underscored that eventual access to Indian military infrastructure
represents a critical 'strategic hedge' against dramatic changes in
traditional US relationships in Asia," the report says.
A South Asia
Foreign Area Officer of the US state department has been quoted as saying
that India's strategic importance increases if existing US relationships
and arrangements in Asia fails.
He cites three
key possibilities for that: If US relations with other traditional allies
(eg Japan, South Korea and Saudi Arabia) becomes more acrimonious or
politically uncomfortable for both parties; or if access rights that
the United States takes for granted become more restrictive; or if our
traditional relationships collapse resulting in a US military withdrawal.
The FAO, who
is specialises on South Asia and among those few American diplomats
who can converse in Hindi, says, "The United States needs to develop
alternatives in Asia. India is the optimal choice if we can overcome
the obstacles in building the relationship."
An American
Colonel says, "The US Navy wants a relatively neutral territory
on the opposite side of the world that can provide ports and support
for operations in the Middle East. India not only has a good infrastructure,
the Indian Navy has proved that it can fix and fuel US ships. Over time,
port visits must become a natural event. India is a viable player in
supporting all naval missions, including escorting and responding to
regional crises. In the same vein, the US Air Force would like the Indians
to be able to grant them access to bases and landing rights during operations,
such as counter-terrorism and heavy airlift support."
It is significant
that during the 1991 Gulf War-I, India provided refuelling facility
to US warplanes. And during Operation Enduring Freedom, several US warships
used Indian facilities for rest and recuperation. As part of Operation
Enduring Freedom, Indian naval ships provided escorts to merchant vessels
from North Arabian Sea till Strait of Malacca in the most active cooperation
with US navy in history. In fact, it is in naval cooperation that America
sees the immediate future of Indo-US military relations. It is not just
access to bases and ports that the US military hopes to get in India,
but also training facilities in India.
A common theme
among high-ranking American officers is that the US military would benefit
from training with Indians, particularly if the training could occur
on Indian territory. "India has a variety of landscapes, from ice-clad
mountains to deserts, and it would help the Americans because military
training ranges shrinking and becoming increasingly controversial in
the United States," the report says. And for the US navy training
with Indian navy is the best way to become 'proficient in the Indian
Ocean region', the report adds.
The American
decision-makers 'believe that the military relationship should result
in shared technology and capabilities, and ultimately they would like
to be able to respond jointly to regional crises'.
Such American
dreams are sure to set off significant political resentment as it would
offset India's long held tradition of non-alignment, especially its
military neutrality. In real terms it would indicates how India, thrust
strategically into the Indian Ocean, could emerge as America's key ally
in Asia as the continent goes through a historic political churning.