India, US to hold large military exercises in 2019
The US and Indian militaries will carry out large-scale joint exercises off India in 2019, top officials said on 6 September.
The drills would be a first of sorts – the two countries' forces have not previously trained simultaneously in the air, on the land and at sea.
Indian Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made the announcement at the end of a summit with US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj.
Sitharaman said: ‘We have decided to carry out for the first time a tri-services joint exercise with the United States off the eastern coast of India in 2019.’
The two countries also signed a ‘Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement’, known as COMCASA, that will enable them to exchange sensitive military information quickly and securely.
Mattis and Sitharaman signed the COMCASA agreement at a brief ceremony earlier on 6 September.
The US only signs COMCASA agreements with trusted allies, and Washington hopes to deepen its military ties with India.
Washington however is concerned about an imminent deal India is making with Russia to buy the S-400 missile system.
None of the officials who spoke after the talks made any reference to where things stand on that issue.
India and the US also vowed closer cooperation in counterterrorism operations.
You may also like
More from Defence Notes
-
![US lawmakers warn that “more military spending is absolutely necessary” to ensure Pentagon’s readiness]()
US lawmakers warn that “more military spending is absolutely necessary” to ensure Pentagon’s readiness
The US Congress has raised concerns about how inflation rates and cuts in main acquisition programmes could affect the US military.
-
![Can the US overcome Russian and Chinese nuclear capabilities?]()
Can the US overcome Russian and Chinese nuclear capabilities?
Washington’s ageing inventory and the pace Moscow and Beijing have been modernising their capabilities put in check the US Nuclear deterrence.
-
![US FY2024 funding package passes as China closes military capability gap]()
US FY2024 funding package passes as China closes military capability gap
The Pentagon has been operating under temporary funding since October 2023, which has impacted its main acquisition and development programmes, increasing the capability gap between the US and China.
-
![NATO outlines future challenges as Ukrainian funding from US stalls]()
NATO outlines future challenges as Ukrainian funding from US stalls
In 2023, defence spending increased by an unprecedented 11% across European NATO countries and Canada. Since 2014, the group has spent an additional US$600 billion on defence.
-
![US Pentagon to reduce investments in main acquisition programmes over FY2025]()
US Pentagon to reduce investments in main acquisition programmes over FY2025
The DoD requested nearly US$850 billion to fund operations over the next fiscal year. Despite the amount being 1% higher than the FY2024 budget request, it has not covered the 3% inflation rate, which could impact the DoD’s main programmes in the medium and long term.
