The foundation of the Indo-US defense relations with a focus on information sharing and trade in technologies was laid in January 1995, when the Agreed minutes on defense relations was signed. It was formally known as the Defense technology and trade initiative. An apex institutional body was setup as a dialogue mechanism in the area of defense cooperation. It was known as the Defense policy group. Under the NSSP- Next step in Strategic Partnerships which was signed between India and the USA in 2004, a blueprint was prepared for the upgradation for the defense relations and associated trade agreements. After 10 years, in 2005, this agreement was renewed as ‘New Defense framework Agreement’. It was agreed that the NDFA would cover areas like defense trade, exchange of personnel, collaboration and cooperation in marine operations, joint exercises, counter piracy operations among others. The DFA (Defense framework Agreement) was further renewed in 2015 for another 10 years. A very integral part of this renewed framework agreement was the DTTI- defense trade and technology initiative, which is also known as Carter initiative, named after the American Public policy expert-Ashton Carter.

The USA has such agreements on the model of DTTI with numerous countries to maintain its strategic reach across the world. The DTTI discussed here is specifically modelled for India. The defense technology and trade initiative with India has four key pathfinder agreements which are worked out as joint development between the two participating countries. One needs to remember that the DTTI is not an international law or treaty as such, but a partnership based relationship. DTTI would cover aspects like intelligence gathering, reconnaissance modules for large transport aircrafts (C130J Super Hercules), availability of mobile electric hybrid power sources and provision of protection gear for chemical and biological warfare for soldiers. This initiative has four pillars-GSOMIA, CISMOA (COMCASA), BECA and LSA(LEMOA).

GSOMIA which stands for General security of military information agreement was signed between India and the USA in 2002. It allows Indian government access to sensitive information from USA government and the MNCs and corporations based in USA. It signifies that it allows India to access data from firms like google and other technology companies which can be used for actions with purpose of national security.

Communications Interoperability and Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA) is an agreement which USA setups with partnering countries. The Indian version of this is known as COMCASA-Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement. It was signed in September 2018 on the sidelines of a 2+2 dialogue between India and USA. This agreement allows India access to encrypted and proprietary communications devices and setup on the military aircrafts and other vehicles and infrastructure. Before signing of this agreement, India and USA military commands were using a limited version of US Centrix (Combined Enterprise Regional information exchange). Now, India has access to complete Centrix system in terms of communications during joint military exercises.

In August,2016, India and USA signed the LEMOA (Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement)- the Indian version of the Logistics services agreement (LSA). It allows both the countries to use logistics of each other for military purposes. There would be pre-designated sites on both sides where the usage by the military assets of the partner country would be allowed. There would be a mechanism for book-keeping, payments for usage, in such kind of cooperative usage of bases of each other. LEMOA would cover training exercises, port calls, joint exercises, disaster relief and other relevant operations. This agreement does not mandate the setting up of bases in each other’s territories.

In August 2019, in the bilateral meeting of the defense planning group, discussions were carried out so that the last agreement known as the BECA- Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement can be signed. This would allow India to have geospatial intelligence sharing from the USA. That would help India to share and have access to sensitive data to aid and coordinate in targeting and navigation with USA and it’s allies. This would help India to enhance the military accuracy for its automated defense hardware systems for examples, drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. BECA would provide India and USA to share advanced topographical and satellite data which would be helpful in long range navigation and targeting for different missiles in the arsenals of both the countries. It would provide India access to missile systems and different aircraft survivability hardware. From Indian perspective, BECA would help India get strengthened against the China-Pakistan axis, and from the American point of view, it would help balance the power in Asia against the Russia China Pakistan alliance.

Industrial Security Annex was recently signed between India and the USA as a part of the GSOMIA- General security of military information agreement. It would be necessary as a set of guidelines between the corporations of the USA and India co-develop and co-produce various technologies, materials and weapons. This would cover deals like that of the 110 fighter jets deal and the 111 naval utility helicopters which are under consideration and processing in the Strategic Partnership model. It is like a middle ground between protectionism and co-production of defense products.

For coordination in the domain of defense production, the DTTI arrangement (only a mechanism, it is not a treaty), had formed a Security cooperation group. This SCG was upgraded to Defense Procurement and Production Group whose function is to monitor defense trade, look out for possibility of co-production of defense materials and technology collaboration (for example TOT agreements). This DPPG is one of the many subgroups under Defense policy group with a purpose to guide the military industrial relations under the Industrial Security Annex signed between India and USA.

India historically shared a cold relation with USA in the post-World War II world which saw milestone changes after the fall of the USSR and the Indo-US Nuclear deal. Signing of the BECA would complete the efforts put in by the successive governments in building defense relations with the USA which was formally set up in 1995. But care must be taken to see that neither the cooperation under DTTI pave the way for unnecessary intervention in the relations of India with its immediate neighbors nor any leeway is provided in the decision-making structure of India’s national security.