Defence Secretary says intel sharing came in handy

In what could be the first official acknowledgement on the nature of the India-US collaboration to tackle China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) during the ongoing military stand-off, Indian Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane today said “intelligence sharing and situational awareness” were key areas, adding that India hoped the US would “support” it in future too.

Speaking at an event, he referred to the India-US relations saying: “One thing which aided us (during the LAC stand-off) was the intelligence, the situational awareness which the US equipment and the US government helped us with; so that is the single-most important area”.

“We are standing there — along the LAC — against a bully in a very determined fashion,” Aramane said, adding that “we expect that our friend, the US, will be there with us in case we need support, it is a must for us”. “Apart from that, a strong resolve that we support each other in the face of a common threat is going to be of critical importance to us,” he said.

He said intelligence and support by way of equipment would be of great help to the country. Aramane was speaking at the second edition of the INDUS-X summit here today, which was jointly organised by Innovations for Defence Excellence, Ministry of Defence, and the US Department of Defence. The event was jointly coordinated by the US-India Business Council (USIBC) and the Society of India Defence Manufacturers.

Aramane was asked by his fellow panellist, “Sometimes it takes a crisis for barriers to break down. We saw that happen in a few areas during the recent crisis between India and China. What should India ask for from the US (in future)?” The Defence Secretary replied, “Yes, that is the realm of possibility and we continue to discuss the challenge we face from our northern neighbours. The possibility that we may face a similar situation that we faced in 2020 is keeping us active all the time.” The Defence Secretary participated in a session where he was joined by US “IndoPacom” Commander Admiral John C Aquilino and president, USIBC, Atul Keshap.

Earlier, Aramane said the Indo-Pacific region “stands at the crossroads of global commerce, geopolitics and security”. India is increasingly turning to the US for cutting-edge technology.

Courtesy: The Tribune India: 22nd Feb , 2024