India’s decision to acquire the Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile system, has cast a shadow on the discussions between the United States and India especially on the third foundational military pact with the US, which could not be signed during the India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in Washington DC this week. Overall, however, the mood was positive in that both sides agreed on the need to work together against common threats.
Insider sources said the two countries were holding negotiations for signing the third military pact—Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA). However, this could not happen during the Ministerial Dialogue. BECA, according to sources, will allow India to use US expertise on geospatial intelligence and enhance military accuracy of automated hardware systems and weapons like cruise, ballistic missiles and drones. Read More…
