US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter concluded his India visit without anything significant to take back. He was in India for three days during which he held high-level talks with his Indian counterpart Manohar Parrikar.
The joint statement issued at the end of the talks had nothing substantial but the rhetoric. In the statement, the two sides "reiterated commitment to pursue co-development and co-production of advanced defence articles and further movement in defence relations". They "agreed" to initiate two new DTII pathfinder projects on Digital Helmet Mounted Displays and the Joint Biological Tactical Detection System.
This was apart from the 17 defense technologies which continue to be "under consideration" by the Indian Government since the last two and a half years. On those pending proposals, the statement said that both the leaders "commended the on-going discussions at the Jet Engine Technology Joint Working Group and the Joint Working Group on Aircraft Carrier Technology Cooperation." This was a mere repetition of what the two had to say after the third meeting in December 2015.
Former Financial advisor to Ministry of Defense, Amit Cowshish told Sputnik, "Indian delegations go to America. Their delegations come to India. They reiterate they will do this and that. But I do not see any clear road-map emerging out of such high-table talks."
Prior to Carter's visit there was a buzz in Indian media that the two sides would sign the Logistics Exchange Agreement (LSA), one of the three "foundational agreements" US has been hoping to push through since more than a decade now. But, the only development on that front was that the two sides "agreed in principle" to conclude the LSA. Defence Minister Parikkar's categorically stated that the LSA would apply only to supplies like fuel and food and not for stationing US military in India, signaling that US would require to re-work its draft agreement to accommodate India's inherent concerns. Responding to this, Carter said, "No one is talking of US troops on Indian soil. It is for making it easier to work together".
Strategic Analyst and former member of India's National Security Council, Prof Bharat Karnad told Sputnik that he does not see the LSA being signed anytime soon "I had said earlier that India and US were unlikely to seal any deal. US has prepared a draft LSA but it is up to the Modi's cabinet to decide on how to proceed. What will be the ramifications? But it is very difficult. I do not think this is going to happen."
Indian Defence Ministry officials refused to comment on record but majority of them stressed that India will not sign any agreement with the US that will jeopardise its relations with all-weather friend Russia and hamper the progress in mending relations with China.
