By IANS
New Delhi : India is considering a pact with the US under which their militaries can provide each other logistical support in cashless transactions that are balanced at the end of year, parliament was informed Wednesday.
The Logistics Support Agreement (LSA) would not impact on India’s foreign policy and would not operate in situations of armed conflict, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
“Government are in the process of considering a Logistics Support Agreement with the USA as a facilitating framework for mutual logistical support when deploying defence resources in disaster relief operations or joint exercises and without commitment for assistance in situations of armed conflict,” Mukherjee said.
“The agreement will not affect the independence of India’s foreign policy. The logistical support that will be provided in disaster relief operations abroad will enhance India’s ability to assist affected countries efficiently,” he added.
The government had earlier denied such a pact was being considered.
Under the LSA that is currently with the Cabinet Committee on Security, India and the US can also “borrow” military equipment wherever this is required instead of having to cart it all the way from home, an official explained.
The US, which had proposed the pact some four years ago during the previous National Democratic Alliance (NDA) regime, has similar agreements in place with some 65 countries.
In most cases, it is called the Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreement (ACSA) that was formerly known as the NATO Mutual Support Act. It was enacted to simplify exchanges of logistic support, supplies, and services between the US and NATO forces. It was amended in 1986, 1992 and 1994 to permit ACSAs with non-NATO countries.
Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kohler, who has just stepped down as director of the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency, explained how the agreement works.
“There’s an Indian Navy ship in the US that needs refuelling. It does so for free. Sometime during the year, US military aircraft will land in India or our navy vessels will visit your ports and refuel in similar manner. At the end of the year, we balance the books,” he said at a recent media interaction here.
“Let’s say, India is sending troops to country X on a UN peacekeeping mission. You can borrow vehicles and even armoured personnel carriers but not weapons from the assets we might have in the neighbourhood. Here too, we’ll balance the books at the end of the year,” Kohler added.
Had such an agreement been in force, India could have saved some $1 million in the Indian Navy’s acquisition of the troop carrier INS Jalashva, formerly the USS Trenton.
“Since the LSA was not in place, India had to pay extra for the fuel that we put on board (before handing over the vessel to the Indian Navy in April),” Kohler pointed out.