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Natwar Singh visiting US : F-16 issue likely to be on the table |
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External Affairs Minister, Natwar Singh, is going to the US on April 12 and the day he leaves New Delhi, the US Pacific Command Chief, Admiral Fallon will be coming to India on a two-day visit. Natwar Singh will hold talks with the US Secretary of State, Ms Condoleezza Rice, apart from a possible meeting with President Bush.
Although the Foreign Office briefing about Natwar Singh’s visit has not confirmed whether he will raise the issue of a US decision to sell F-16 fighter planes to Pakistan and its implications for the security of India, the possibility of it is not ruled out. The US announced its decision to sell 70 F-16s to Pakistan and made an offer to discuss with New Delhi the supply of F-16s and F-18s and their co-production in India soon after Ms Rice’s return to Washington. During her visit to New Delhi, the two sides had agreed to expand defence and energy ties and conclude soon the second phase of the Next Step in Strategic Partnership, which encompasses high technology trade. The US has conveyed to New Delhi that it was considering offering civilian nuclear energy and nuclear safety cooperation to India. Washington has also given its nod for participation by American companies in the bidding for multi-role F-16 combat aircraft to India.
India is in the market for the purchase of 126 multi-role combat aircraft in a deal which could be worth a whopping $5 billion. Reports say that India had added US aviation company Lockheed Martin to the shortlist to which a request for information had been sent late last year. While the IAF received a response to the letters from France, Sweden and Russia, the reply from Lockheed Martin did not come. Now that the US clearance to this firm could result in a bid that could constitute, as US Ambassador to India, David C. Mulford said, “an offer that will be very hard to turn down.
The Defence Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, had a round of talks with the US Ambassador to India, on the offer last week during which, Defence Ministry sources said, he made a “substantive offer”. The Defence Minister is expected to share the details of the discussions with the Prime Minister and his colleagues in the Cabinet shortly. The US would not let go a $5 billion deal for the 126 fighter aircraft proposed to be purchased by America especially at a time when Lockheed Martin is starved of the fresh orders and had told President Bush, who is close to the top executives of this firm that they would have to give quit notice to some five thousand employees if enough orders were not received. So, the US would love to upstage the French [Mirage-2000Vs], Russian [MiG-29 M2] and Swedish [JAS-39 Gripen] contenders. The US officials admit as much, holding that their product was the best with the most competitive prices. The vision sketched out by Ms Rice with her Indian counterparts is not just about hardware like F-16s but an effort which, if it concludes successfully, could redraw the strategic map of Asia, a senior US Embassy official said. This vision envisages cooperation on issues ranging from defence and non-proliferation to energy and economic growth.
Despite the strong signals from the IAF which has made its preference for the French Mirage-2000V fighters quite apparent, the Defence Minister, Pranab Mukherjee has promised to look into the US offer of F-16s and F/A-18s, provided they served India’s strategic interests. The UPA leadership is of the view that its ally Left’s ideological reservations and armed forces’ technical considerations should not be allowed to come in the way of discussing the offer with the US. It is being argued that the US offer, besides helping the country buy major weapons platform will help New Delhi get more attractive terms from the Russian and French competitors of Lockheed Martin and Boeing. The armed forces have been taking a conservative view with its leadership preferring French Mirages and Russian Sukhois. According to them, the machines are not just user-friendly for Indian pilots, the two countries have been dependable allies of New Delhi. The political leadership, however, is citing the recent diversification in sourcing defence equipments – for instance, Phalcons from Israel – to reject the armed forces’ argument. Besides, the offer of co-production will ensure reliable supply of spares. The US will soon conclude a deal to supply two NATPQ-37 Firefinder weapon-locating radars and combat free-all parachutes for the Special Forces. Also on offer are the H-60C Sea Hawk long range naval helicopter, V-22 Osprey hybrid roto-craft, aircraft protection systems for non-combat transport planes. US Embassy officials also said, 56 students would travel to the US for defence studies under a $1.4 million programme.
The US offer is appealing for the political leadership as it could make India a production hub for the latest war machines. As the offer involves development of the latest variant of F-16s in India – as was done for Saudi Arabia – India could become a major player in the defence market. The political leadership is also assessing the American offer in the context of a broader relationship with the US which has signalled that it is willing to work together in the area of nuclear energy. Both sides are currently looking to chalking out a road map in nuclear energy cooperation and a beginning is expected to be made shortly with Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar inviting his US counterpart, Samuel Bodman for a dialogue on energy issues.
Apart from the F-16s, the US has offered a number of advanced systems to India. This includes command and control systems, the Patriot missiles, aircraft protection system and equipment for the network centrific warfare. The Indian side has shown interest in buying a number of equipment from the US. If the Navy is exploring the possibility of buying the long range maritime reconnaissance aircraft PC-3 Orion and H-60 Sea Hawk, the Indian Air Force is considering night vision devices and precision guided bombs. The US is already supplying spares for the Sea King aircraft and for submarine maintenance.
US Embassy sources say, a senior level delegation had been to New Delhi recently to make presentation to Indian defence officials on the Patriot missile systems. This in itself was a follow-up of the visit of three Indian observers who were invited to witness Exercise Roving Sands, the live demonstration trials of the missile shield system, at the missile defence facility in Texas. Officials maintain that the defence cooperation canvas could widen further with much bigger sales in the pipeline including upgraded P3C Orions, naval long range maritime and anti-submarine helicopters as well as SeahawkH-60C helicopters.
US Embassy officials further revealed on April 8 that the sophisticated air-borne warning and control systems [AWACS] of the US Air Force would be showcased for the first time in India this year-end. Used along with the latest variants of the F-16s, the exercise scheduled in November at the Kalakunda air base in West Bengal will be used to impress the Indian defence establishment. Mounted on a variety of platforms including Boeings, the AWACS are expected to provide a dazzling display of how they operate along with F-16s and help in persuading India to avoid any adverse decision on the multi-role fighter planes.
Admiral William Fallon, Commander of the US Pacific Command, will be coming to New Delhi on April 12 to work on this as well as several other engagements that US defence forces will be preparing for with the Indian military this calendar. During his visit, the two sides will sign an MoU to progressively chalk out cooperation in military medicine research. The submarine rescue agreement will also come up for discussion, though the actual agreement is likely to be signed only later this year.
The Government of India will also sign a critical defence agreement with Washington this year to allow sharing of drawing-board defence technology, prototype data and joint research and development of military hardware. Top US Embassy officials said on April 8, an MoU which South Block has been insisting on, will be signed this year with the DRDO. While clauses of the MoU are still being negotiated under the Joint Technical Group [JTG], joint R&D and production in the coming years are the likely equipment that Washington is already prepared to supply to the Indian armed forces. These include critical command and control equipment, network centrific battlefield surveillance equipment and early warning systems.
On the other hand, the US decision to sell F-16s is going to be challenged in the House of Representatives by senior Congressman Gary Ackerman, the Democratic Co-chairman of the Congressional caucus on India and Indian Americans. He proposes to introduce a Bill this week to prohibit the sale of F-16s to Pakistan unless it provides the US authorities access to discredited nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan. “It is incomprehensible that we would provide sophisticated military equipment to Pakistan when its President, Gen. Musharraf, refuses to let us interview Khan”, said Ackerman.
Attempts by US intelligence agencies to interview Khan about his proliferation have come a cropper because Musharraf would not provide them access, said Ackerman, adding that the full extent of the Khan network is still to be unravelled.
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