India’s Military Bilateralism: A New Era of Strategic Partnerships

India has recently embarked on an assertive path toward strengthening its military bilateralism, observed through a series of strategic and powerful agreements and decisions taken by the nation’s administration and larger military complex. With paradigm-shifting developments in the South Asian geopolitical situation, contentious situations in Bangladesh and Myanmar, and India’s prolonged struggle to secure its borders against China and Pakistan, fortifying defence capabilities is of prime importance.

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Another fundamental component of ‘Defence Diplomacy’ is defence cooperation, which refers to arrangements between the armed forces of two or more countries to pursue their common aims. Defence cooperation includes sharing tactical and strategic information, building and enhancing military capabilities, forging relations with other states, and marketing arms and dual-use technology.

Furthermore, it allows countries to learn and implement ways of doing things that are proven capable of delivering excellent results. It increases the ability of the forces to work together and share information to enhance Maritime Domain Awareness.  

THE STRATETEGIC CONTEXT: WHY MILITARY BILETARALISM IS IMPORTANT

Bilateralism of defence relations pursued by India has various factors, with the primary one being the wish to level the negative impact of China’s influence and maintain one’s defence capacities in a multi-polar world.

With China's smear campaigns growing through projects like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), India has also actively sought strategic partners to safeguard its interests, particularly in the Indian Ocean and its neighbourhoods. Indian objectives have included reducing external dependency on military-related imports and being a major player in the global arms market and its technologies.

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Therefore, India is also developing defence relations in Asia, Africa, and South America. These bilateral relations insulate India from some diplomatic behaviours while enabling it to pursue independent foreign relations without becoming too dependent on a particular partner.

Ties with foreign partners, especially militarily, support implementing the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ programme with additional value since such ties usually entail cyber-capabilities joint venture deals establishing production in India and transfer of technology to India.

KEY REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS: WHO ARE INDIA’S PARTNERS?

Russia

Cooperation in the field of defence is an essential constituent of the framework partnership between India and Russia. It is regulated by the Military Technical Cooperation Agreement signed in 2021 for 10 years. The talks on the RELOS Agreement, aimed at providing logistic support during joint operations of the armed forces, are still in progress. Unfortunately, there are still some technical issues that have delayed the conclusion of the Agreement.

India gives immense importance to the completion of already executed contracts as the delivery timelines have been affected due to issues arising from the Russo-Ukrainian Warfare, among other factors. Delivery of the S-400 systems has, however, been pushed to 2026,  while the first Project 11356R class frigate ‘Tushil’ is expected to be delivered in September 2024, followed by ‘Tamal’ in the next year.

United States of America

The US-India defence partnership is transforming swiftly in response to regional and world security issues. Among these are securing and protecting supply chains, creating critical and emerging technologies, and increasing assistance in cyber, space and new joint battlegrounds. There is an emphasis on the common concerns in the Indian Ocean and the Indo-Pacific Region.

The need to maintain regional order, particularly regarding protecting sea lanes of communications, has been sustained within Indian foreign policy since New Delhi joined the Combined Maritime Force. This will be even much greater when India becomes responsible for Combined Task Force 150 in 2025 because of the increased responsibilities of New Delhi in the regional security structures.

France

India-France relations are advancing with key developments in defence and strategic cooperation. Airbus and Tata advanced their plans to manufacture civilian helicopters jointly. There are currently two major defence contracts– some 26 Rafale-M jets to the Indian Navy and three additional Scorpene-class submarines, indicating a trajectory of increasing conjunction.

With more focus being placed on co-design, co-development, and co-production, a defence industrial roadmap creates an additional building block in the relationship, as does France’s readiness to provide high-performance jet engine technology. On the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the Strategic Partnership, both countries have also devised a plan of action which will govern their relations up to 2047, when India will turn 100 years old. There will also be a hundred years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Israel

Israel has been one of India's most reliable security partners. However, the escalating Gaza conflict and Israel's waning international standing present challenges for India, which must balance its historic alliance with Israel and essential ties to Arab states. 

The defence collaboration between India and Israel is active and covers missile systems, avionics, and navy capabilities. The countries have partnered to upgrade India’s MiG-21s, with Israel providing new cockpit designs and systems for electronic warfare. While the initial upgrades are done in Russia, the next phase of the upgrade process is scheduled to take place in India. Improving the missile systems such as the Prithvi, the Sagarika, and the Akash is also on their agenda.

India has also purchased Super Dvora Mark II fast attack craft (surveillance boats) from Israel and, after that, mastered their manufacture in the country with the numbers expected to reach 80 for the Navy and the Coast Guard combined. In addition, Israel has offered assistance in enhancing the electronic warfare suites fitted on board the aircraft carrier INS Viraat and other platforms, revealing the extent of the defence cooperation between the two nations.

FORGING NEW PARTNERSHIPS: INDIA’S EXPANDING MILITARY BILATERALISM

Algeria represents a strategic re-evaluation of India’s defence outreach towards North Africa. This deal encompasses military deployment, intelligence gathering, and training-induced militarisation of Algeria. Regarding land area, Algeria is the largest nation in the African continent.

It has considerable military power in North Africa, thus helping India gain strategic access to the region. There are also European countries and essential sea routes close to Algeria, making this engagement valuable to India in meeting its security objectives. India also develops defence ties with other second-rung players such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam.

As exemplified by the UAE, which transformed India’s perception of defence due to defence intelligence sharing and joint exercises, Saudi Arabia’s attempts to employ India in defence procurement correlates with the strategy seeking to grow defence exports. Out of all Southeast Asia countries, the special focus has been put on Vietnam because the two countries have similar views on Chinese involvement in the South China Sea. Vietnam has mandated a U.S. $ 500 million defence credit by India, which is also helping the country enhance its navy.

All these emergent partnerships reflect that India is seeking to extend its defence perimeter and enhance structures that promote and sustain multipolarity. In this regard, India is promoting military bilateralism with many partners, enabling it to actively play the role of a security provider in regions previously where Indian presence has been minimal. 

ADDRESSING CHALLENGES AND THE WAY AHEAD

CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) is a piece of American legislation meant to apply sanctions on nations engaging in such activities that include a significant degree of the Russian military and intelligence sectors. These possible sanctions were for India under the Philippine LRA OCA Act, for example, when it adopted Russia’s S-400 missile defence systems. Nevertheless, in 2022, the U.S. exempted India from the provisions of this Act, citing its geostrategic considerations and long-standing defence relations with Russia.

Despite this, CAATSA undoubtedly poses a challenge to India because it underlines the core challenge that India faces in containing Russia and yet fostering its relationship with the United States, one of India’s most essential strategic partners. The issues that arise from this situation limit the extent of India’s strategic autonomy, create challenges in defence acquisition, and point out difficulties in forming military coalitions that do not invite international penalties. 

Considering the expanding South Asian footprint of China, India is compelled to reinforce its warfare if it is to maintain the status quo concerning its long-standing border dispute with China. It is fundamental to close the technological and infrastructural gaps to protect the country’s territorial integrity. An outdated military might create opportunities for Beijing to further its territorial ambitions. India's military modernisation is crucial for maintaining national security and countering growing threats from its neighbours. A sustained and focused approach will ensure that India remains strategically competitive in the region.

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BY NAVYA SRIRAM

TEAM GEOSTRATA

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