Indo-US Strategic Convergence: An Overview of Military and Defence Cooperation

Abstract

During the Cold War period, India and the US had negligible defence relations, barring the brief interlude after the Sino-Indian border conflict in 1962. However, in the post-Cold War period the defence cooperation between India and the US has become a reality and the two countries have entered a new era in their relations, marked by frequent joint military exercises and signing of a ten-year defence agreement. This paper intends to look into the Indo-US defence and military cooperation in the post-Cold War period. This article traces the defence relations between the two nations in the Cold War era and then looks at the defence and military cooperation in the changed international scenario. It explores the development, bilateral talks and agreements that facilitated military and defence cooperation between India and the US. Finally it concludes with geo-strategic and geo-economic factors that will foster this relationship in the future with potential impact on balance of power in the evolving strategic geomatry.