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According to people familiar with the matter, the US is preparing a military aid program for India in order to strengthen security ties and reduce the country’s reliance on Russian weapons.
According to one source, the package under consideration would include foreign military funding worth up to $500 million, making India one of the largest recipients of such assistance after Israel and Egypt. It is unknown when the agreement will be announced or what weapons will be included. According to a senior US official who requested anonymity, the effort is part of a larger effort by President Joe Biden’s government to court India as a long-term security companion, despite its reluctance to criticize Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
According to the official, Washington wants to be seen as a dependable partner for India across the board, and the administration is working with other countries, including France, to ensure Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s govt has the necessary equipment. While India is already trying to diversify its military systems away from Russia, the US wants to help accelerate that process, according to the official.
The major challenge remains to determine how to provide India with major platforms such as fighter jets, naval ships, and battle tanks, according to the official, who added that the administration is hoping for a breakthrough in one of these areas. The proposed financing package would do little to make such systems, which can cost billions or tens of billions of dollars, more affordable, but it would be a substantial symbolic show of support.
The Foreign Ministry of India did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The State Department and the US embassy in New Delhi did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
India is the nation’s biggest buyer of Russian weapons, though it has recently reduced its purchases. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Center, which collects data on arms transfers, India has purchased more than $4 billion in military equipment from the United States and more than $25 billion from Russia over the last decade.
India’s reliance on Russia for weapons against neighbours China and Pakistan is one of the main reasons Modi’s government has avoided criticising Russian President Vladimir Putin over the Ukraine conflict. While the United States, Europe, Australia, and Japan imposed economic sanctions on Russia, India remained calm and continued to import discounted Russian oil.
While the United States and its allies were initially frustrated with India, they have attempted to court Modi’s government as a key security partner, including against China in the Indo-Pacific region. Modi is scheduled to attend a summit with Biden in South Korea next week. Leaders from the Quad, a partnership between the United States, India, Japan, and Australia that has drawn criticism from China, will attend the meeting. Next month, Modi was also invited to participate in the Group of Seven leaders in Germany.
At a media briefing in April with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, and Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made the point about China.
