The 50 per cent tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump on India for buying Russian crude have severely hit the relationship between the two countries. Trump said India is not just buying Russian oil, but also Russian weapons, as he justified his decision to impose tariffs.
India, since its Independence, has vastly depended on Russia for its military requirements. However, over the past few years, India has also started procuring more military equipment from the US, as New Delhi tries to find a balance between the two superpowers. The step is also aimed at modernising the armed forces and reducing India's dependency on Soviet era equipment. So, let's take a look at how US tech is powering India's military modernisation.
COMCASA
India and the US signed an agreement to enable 'COMCASA' (Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement) in September 2018. The COMCASA, which will remain valid till 2028, allowed India to 'optimally utilise' specialised military for encrypted communication for its existing US-origin platforms such as C-17, C-130 and P-8Is.
The COMCASA pact also helped the militaries of India and the US to ensure greater communications interoperability, as it allowed the former not to disclose data acquired through such systems without its consent.
BECA
The Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement or the BECA was signed between India and the US in 2020, allowing the two countries to share geospatial information, including satellite data, military maps and navigation information. This would help the Indian defence systems lock targets with real-time intelligence from US precision satellite data.
Apache helicopters
India and the US had signed a deal in 2015 for 22 R-model Apache helicopters for the Indian Air Force (IAF). In 2020, the IAF received the Apache helicopters, following which the two governments signed another Rs 5,691 crore deal for six more such helicopters for the Indian Army.
Described as the "world's most advanced and proven attack helicopter", the Apache helicopters are armed with fire-and-forget Hellfire missiles and can track around 128 targets each minute. The Apache helicopters would greatly enhance the Indian military's capabilities to conduct reconnaissance missions and attacks.
The Apache "represents the backbone of the US Army's attack helicopter fleet and a growing number of international defense forces," said Boeing, which has designed the helicopters.
P-8I maritime aircraft
In 2009, India signed a USD 2.2 billion contract with the US to procure eight P-8I maritime aircraft for the Indian Navy. In 2016, India placed another USD 1 billion order to procure four more such maritime aircraft.
The P-8 Poseidon is a multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft that has been designed by Boeing. The aircraft can reach a maximum speed of 490 knots and fly up to 41,000 feet to conduct reconnaissance missions, gather intelligence, and carry out search and rescue operations.
Predator drones
In October 2024, India and the US signed a USD 3.5 billion deal for 31 MQ-9B Predator drones. Designed by General Atomics, the MQ-9B Predator drones can fly as high as 40,000 feet and for 40 straight hours. This would help the Indian Armed Forces conduct reconnaissance missions in the Himalayas and the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Besides, they can also conduct attack operations as they can fire Hellfire missiles.
