logo
Guarded optimism in India as Trump and Modi outline plans to deepen defense partnership

Guarded optimism in India as Trump and Modi outline plans to deepen defense partnership

Independent14-02-2025

There was guarded optimism among military experts in India as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump outlined plans to ramp up sales of defense systems to New Delhi, including F-35 stealth fighter jets, to deepen the U.S.-India strategic relationship.
'Defense sector is a big money, and India happens to be one of the top buyers in the world,' said Lt. Gen. Vinod Bhatia, India's director-general for military operations from 2012 to 2014. 'As long as we buy, Trump will be happy but it's surely going to expand our conventional deterrence.'
The meeting signaled that 'defense diplomacy is the core of diplomacy these days," Bhatia said.
In a joint statement at the White House, the two leaders announced plans to sign a new 10-year framework later this year for the U.S.-India Major Defense Partnership.
Modi and Trump 'pledged to elevate military cooperation across all domains — air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace — through enhanced training, exercises, and operations, incorporating the latest technologies,' the statement said.
The leaders also 'committed to break new ground to support and sustain the overseas deployments of the U.S. and Indian militaries in the Indo-Pacific, including enhanced logistics and intelligence sharing," the statement said.
While Indian military experts have long sought to diversify national defense procurements, analysts say it will take years to reduce New Delhi's dependency on Russian arms, even with expanded defense cooperation with the U.S.
Raja Mohan, an analyst at the Institute of South Asian Studies in Singapore, said expansion in defense cooperation would take time.
'What India wants is coproduction and more research and development in India. It's a long-term project,' he said.
It is difficult for India to remain dependent on Russia for defense equipment owing to difficulties obtaining parts and upgrades. However, a deal with the U.S. for F-35 stealth fighter jets will not fill India's immediate need for more than 100 aircraft, said Rahul Bedi, an independent defense analyst based in India.
'They are not going to come tomorrow,' Bedi said. 'It's going to take several years to start arriving,' he added.
As its geostrategic competition with China has grown manifold in recent years, India has diversified defense acquisitions from the U.S., Israel and France while seeking to move toward self-reliance in this sector. But New Delhi is still far from getting over its dependence on supplies and spare parts from Russia that makes up to 60% of Indian defense equipment.
With vast borders and protracted border conflicts with neighboring countries Pakistan and China, India also relies hugely on Moscow for military upgrades and modernization.
'India faces threats from China and Pakistan, and a threat from collaborative Pakistan-China. We need technologically capable systems to counter these threats and one country that can give such systems is America,' said Lt. Gen. D.S. Hooda, who from 2014 to 2016 headed the Indian military's Northern Command.
China's rise as a global power also has pushed India closer to the U.S. and to the Quad, a new Indo-Pacific strategic alliance among the U.S., India, Australia and Japan.
The growing strategic alliance accuses China of economic coercion and military maneuvering in the region, upsetting the status quo, and has ruffled feathers in Beijing, which sees the relationship as a counterweight against China's rise.
Indian fears of Chinese territorial expansion are bolstered by the growing presence of the Chinese navy in the Indian Ocean and Beijing's efforts to strengthen ties with not only Pakistan but also Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
'The major threat is from China which is outstripping India's capability,' Hooda said.
In the early 1990s, about 70% of Indian army weapons, 80% of its air force systems and 85% of its navy platforms were of Soviet origin. From 2016 to 2020, Russia accounted for nearly 49% of India's defense imports while French and Israeli shares were 18% and 13%, respectively, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Major Indian purchases from the U.S. included long-range maritime patrol aircraft, C-130 transport aircraft, missiles and drones.
The defense sales also can potentially offset the trade deficit between the two countries, Hooda said.
'It's a win-win for all. America will get more business, and we'll get modern weapons,' Hooda said. 'It will also help to ease pressure on the tariff issue and trade deficit.'
___

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Hong Kong police accuse a mobile game app of promoting armed revolution
Hong Kong police accuse a mobile game app of promoting armed revolution

The Independent

time19 minutes ago

  • The Independent

Hong Kong police accuse a mobile game app of promoting armed revolution

Hong Kong police on Tuesday accused a mobile game application of advocating armed revolution and promoting secessionist agendas, saying that those who publish it or share it with others online may risk violating national security laws. The announcement — the first to publicly denounce a gaming app — indicates that authorities are widening the crackdown that has followed anti-government protests in 2019. Authorities have crushed or silenced many dissenting voices through prosecutions under the 2020 national security law imposed by Beijing and a similar, homegrown law enacted last year. In a statement, police warned residents against downloading the 'Reversed Front: Bonfire" application, saying those with the app installed might be seen as possessing a publication with a seditious intention. They also warned people against providing financial assistance to the application developer, including making in-app purchases. ''Reversed Front: Bonfire' was released under the guise of a game with the aim of promoting secessionist agendas such as ' Taiwan independence' and 'Hong Kong independence,' advocating armed revolution and the overthrow of the fundamental system of the People's Republic of China,' police said. The game application was developed by ESC Taiwan, which did not immediately respond to The Associated Press' request for comment. On the application's Facebook page, the developer posted about surging searches for the game name and a Hong Kong broadcaster's news report about Tuesday's development. According to the application's introduction, players can assume the role of Hong Kong, Tibet, Uyghur, Taiwan or Cathaysian Rebel factions, among others, to overthrow the communist regime. They may also choose to lead the communists to defeat all enemies. The game's website says it 'is a work of nonfiction. Any similarity to actual agencies, policies or ethnic groups of the PRC in this game is intentional.' On Tuesday night, the app was still available on Apple's App Store but not on the Google Play store. The game publisher last month said Google Play had taken the app down because it did not prohibit users from adopting hateful language in naming. Apple, Google and Meta have not immediately commented. After playing the game for about three months, Kuo Hao Fu in Taiwan said he found that its content uses a humorous approach to describe serious political issues. Fu disagreed with the police accusations, saying players can also choose to be part of the force representing China. 'The Hong Kong police's actions demonstrate how Hong Kong's democratic freedoms have been controlled by the Chinese Communist Party,' he said. 'When even this level cannot be tolerated, it completely destroys creative freedom in gaming.' China considers Taiwan its own territory, to be brought under its control by force if necessary. Many Taiwanese in the self-ruled island showed concerns about Hong Kong's declining freedoms under Beijing's grip. The Beijing and Hong Kong governments insist the city's national security laws were necessary to return stability to the city following the protests.

Frantic moment CNN reporter is hauled away by cops live on air at LA protests as anchor screams ‘what's going on?!'
Frantic moment CNN reporter is hauled away by cops live on air at LA protests as anchor screams ‘what's going on?!'

Scottish Sun

time25 minutes ago

  • Scottish Sun

Frantic moment CNN reporter is hauled away by cops live on air at LA protests as anchor screams ‘what's going on?!'

Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) COPS have detained a CNN reporter live on-air as he covered the tense Los Angeles protests. Anchor Laura Coates yelled out, "What's going on?" after watching national correspondent Jason Carroll being led away with his hands behind his back. 7 CNN national correspondent Jason Carroll was detained live on-air while covering the Los Angeles protests Credit: CNN 7 Carroll, seen in 2014, was told to put his hands behind his back and leave the area Credit: Alamy 7 Cops have clashed with protesters in the days-long protests over President Donald Trump's ICE raids Credit: AFP 7 Carroll was told that he would be arrested if he came back to the area Credit: CNN Carroll had been covering the fourth day of protests over Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration when he suddenly lost touch with Coates on Thursday evening. "Jason? What's going on? I hear you. What happened Jason?" Coates said live on air. "I am being detained," said Carroll in the distance as his cameraman filmed several feet behind him. Carroll then chatted with the cops, who confirmed that he wasn't being arrested. "We're letting you go, but you can't come back," said the officer before threatening to arrest Carroll if he returned to the scene. The two appeared to have a friendly interaction before Carroll was put behind a wall of cops and lost touch with Coates. Later, Carroll explained that the officers didn't put him in zip ties but did grab both of his hands and told him, "you are being detained." The reporter was stunned by the sudden change as he had been roaming the streets of Los Angeles covering the protests since that morning. "It is something that I wasn't expecting simply because we have been out here all day," he said. "Normally, the officers [...] realize the press is there doing a job." Trump sends another 2k National Guard to riot-ravaged LA as chaos spreads with arrests in NYC & Texas Carroll was led away around the same time that officials told demonstrators that they had to leave or else they would be arrested. They cuffed a number of protesters and charged them with failure to disperse to finally break up Thursday's demonstration. 7 Carroll said he was stunned by the detainment because he had been covering the protests all day with no issues Credit: CNN 7 PROTESTS RAGE ON The protests, which started over the weekend, heated up after Trump sent around 2,000 National Guard troops to help keep the peace, despite California Governor Gavin Newsom warning him to back off. Newsom claims that the peaceful protests criticizing Trump's immigration crackdown turned into a protest once the troops arrived. Meanwhile, Trump has insisted that Los Angeles would have "burned to the ground" if he hadn't sent the soldiers, as he plans to send 700 Marines to the city. "If I didn't 'SEND IN THE TROOPS' to Los Angeles the last three nights, that once beautiful and great City would be burning to the ground right now," Trump wrote on Truth Social Tuesday morning. California has filed a lawsuit against Trump, accusing him of breaking the 10th Amendment when he sent in the guard. The protests have spawned more protests across the country, and hundreds of participants have been arrested. Trump has vowed to maintain law and order despite Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass begging him to pause the ICE raids. "There is a real fear in Los Angeles right now. Parents, workers, grandparents, young people scared to go about their daily lives," she said. "We are a city of immigrants. Washington is attacking our people, our neighborhoods and our economy."

Trump administration live updates: Pentagon official says deploying National Guard to L.A. will cost $134 million
Trump administration live updates: Pentagon official says deploying National Guard to L.A. will cost $134 million

NBC News

time40 minutes ago

  • NBC News

Trump administration live updates: Pentagon official says deploying National Guard to L.A. will cost $134 million

What to know today NEW JERSEY ELECTIONS: Voters in New Jersey head to the polls today to pick the Democratic and Republican nominees for the governor's race in the first high-profile primaries since the November 2024 election. PETE HEGSETH TESTIFIES: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sparred with Democratic lawmakers while testifying this morning at a House hearing about the department's budget requests. LOS ANGELES PROTESTS: A top Pentagon official at the hearing estimated that deploying members of the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles in response to immigration protests would cost the department around $134 million. TRUMP'S TESLA IS GONE: President Donald Trump's red Tesla, which he purchased to support Elon Musk, is no longer parked outside the White House after the duo's blow-up last week. Yesterday, the president told reporters that he may 'move the Tesla around a little bit.' House Speaker Mike Johnson says California Gov. Newsom should be 'tarred and feathered' Syedah Asghar and Rebecca Shabad House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said today that California Gov. Gavin Newsom 'ought to be tarred and feathered" as punishment for his handling of protests in Los Angeles. Johnson stopped short of saying Newsom should be arrested — as Trump has suggested — saying he wouldn't offer that analysis, but claiming Newsom was an 'accomplice' in law enforcement agents being 'assaulted.' 'Look, that's not my lane. I'm not going to give you legal analysis on whether Gavin Newsom should be arrested, but he ought to be tarred and feathered. I'll say that,' Johnson told reporters at a press conference. Show more Cost of National Guard and Marine deployment in L.A. is approximately $134 million, DOD official says Megan Lebowitz The estimated cost of deploying the National Guard and the Marines to Los Angeles is $134 million, according to Bryn MacDonnell, a special assistant to Hegseth. She said the costs are largely related to temporary duty travel costs such as travel, housing and food. She was responding to a question from Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., who had asked for the estimated cost to deploy the National Guard and the Marines to respond to protests in Los Angeles. Rep. Mikie Sherrill hits Trump over military in Los Angeles Rep. Mikie Sherrill, a New Jersey Democrat running for governor, criticized Trump's decision to send Marines to Los Angeles amid unrest over immigration raids. 'It's a dangerous situation to put military on the streets of the country,' she said after casting her ballot in today's primary. Sherrill, who previously was a Navy helicopter pilot and federal prosecutor, said law enforcement and military personnel are trained in 'something very, very different.' 'If a governor feels that that is not the case, that governor can always go to the federal government to ask for support. That is not the case here,' Sherrill said. Sherrill is one of six Democrats running for governor of New Jersey. Abigail Spanberger has cash advantage in Virginia governor's race Bridget Bowman Former Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger has a sizable cash advantage in the Virginia governor's race, according to new campaign finance reports filed yesterday. Spanberger's campaign had $14.3 million in its account as of June 5, while GOP Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears' campaign had almost $3 million on hand. Spanberger raised $6.4 million and spent $3.2 million from April 1 through June 5, while Earle-Sears raised $3.5 million and spent $4.6 million over that same period. Spanberger and Earle-Sears are facing off in this year's gubernatorial race in Virginia to replace term-limited GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Rep. Ed Case to Hegseth: 'I don't think you're talking to the right people' Megan Lebowitz Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawaii, challenged Hegseth about whether he thought cuts to foreign aid programs, much of which are outside the Defense Department's jurisdiction, affected Hegseth's job and the U.S. military. Hegseth said no, arguing that programs like USAID were "wasteful and duplicitous." He said that he has "heard nothing about" allies' problems about international organizations, arguing the organizations were not "serving U.S. interests." "I don't think you're talking to the right people," Case interjected. Show more Hegseth spars with Democrats during hearing Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., clashed with Hegseth over the cost of deploying the National Guard and military to Los Angeles. McCollum asked Hegseth for information about the funding for troop deployments in Los Angeles, as well as whether any trainings were not taking place because troops were deployed. Hegseth began by referring to the George Floyd murder protests, prompting McCollum to interject multiple times and urge him to address the budget question. Show more Rep. Rosa DeLauro criticizes DOD firings and handling of war in Ukraine Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., criticized staffing shakeups at the Defense Department, including the firing of the department's inspector general and the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, CQ Brown. "Mr. Secretary, of all the Cabinet departments, stability at the Department of Defense is the most critical for Americans' safety and security," she said. She also highlighted the administration's handling of the war in Ukraine, accusing the U.S. of turning its back on allies. "Why would anyone trust us or partner with us when we are busy undermining our allies' economies and encouraging China to fill the vacuum we are leaving by abandoning our humanitarian mission?" she asked Share Hegseth kicks off testimony before Congress Megan Lebowitz Hegseth has begun his testimony before a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing focused on the department's budget. The hearing is one of several congressional hearings that Hegseth is attending this week. Rep. Betty McCollum criticizes administration on L.A. response and decision to fire military officials Delivering opening remarks before Hegseth's testimony begins, Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., criticized the administration's handling of the Los Angeles protests, saying that deploying National Guard troops was "premature" and that the order to deploy Marines was "downright escalatory." McCollum also criticized the administration's decision to fire Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman CQ Brown and other military leaders, saying it "appalled" her. "Many Americans, myself included, have witnessed what is a deliberate effort to silence and diminish the achievements of minorities and women in the military," she said. "Their dedication, their heroism, their sacrifice on behalf of our nation deserve recognition, not erasure." Sen. Bill Cassidy raises 'fear' RFK Jr. will stack vaccine committee with vaccine skeptics Ben Kamisar Louisiana GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy, who heads the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, raised concerns in a brief post on social media about the Health and Human Services Department's gutting of an independent vaccine advisory committee. Cassidy wouldn't elaborate on that warning when Capitol reporters asked about it last night. But the decision comes weeks after Cassidy praised the health secretary for having "lived up" to the commitments Kennedy made to secure Cassidy's confirmation vote, one of which was to "maintain the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices without changes." Yesterday, the CDC announced all 17 members of that vaccine advisory panel were being removed, with Kennedy saying the 'committee has been plagued with persistent conflicts of interest and has become little more than a rubber stamp for any vaccine.' Cassidy, who is a physician, said in his post that "the fear" is the committee "will be filled up with people who know nothing about vaccines except suspicion." Trump's red Tesla is no longer parked outside the West Wing After reports last week that Trump was considering selling or giving away the red Tesla that he purchased this spring in a show of support for Elon Musk, NBC News' White House team has been tracking the location of the vehicle. As of this morning, the car was no longer parked outside the West Wing. Yesterday, the president told inquiring reporters that he may 'move the Tesla around a little bit' and that he has 'a lot of locations' at which he could keep it, as he seemed to dismiss the idea that he intended to offload it entirely. Trump and Musk had a public falling out last week following the billionaire tech mogul's criticism of the massive Republican domestic policy bill, prompting the two to engage in an escalating feud on social media. The White House did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for information on the Tesla's status. Sen. Ruben Gallego endorses Rep. Angie Craig in Minnesota Senate primary Sahil Kapur Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., is endorsing Rep. Angie Craig for the Democratic primary in Minnesota's Senate race, jumping into what is shaping up to be a contentious intraparty contest. In a statement first reported by NBC News, the freshman senator explained why he's backing Craig over Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, who was endorsed last month by Gallego's fellow Democratic senator, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. 'Washington needs more people who are focused on getting things done. I'm supporting Angie because I've seen firsthand her ability to bring people together, listen to everyone and actually get results,' Gallego said. 'Angie is a fighter and is someone who leads with integrity, reason and a deep patriotic belief in our democracy.' Show more Congresswoman from Los Angeles says community is 'very scared' Democratic Rep. Norma Torres, who represents parts of Los Angeles County, said today that her 'constituents are very scared' of the sweeping Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions taking place in communities there. 'They don't want to get caught up in a situation where ICE is profiling and detaining them because of the color of their skin,' Torres said on MSNBC's "Way Too Early." Torres added that she and other Democratic members were barred from entering an ICE facility in downtown LA. 'It's not supposed to work this way. In the last Trump administration we made sure we changed the law so members of Congress would not be blocked from entering and doing oversight. … Imagine if your loved one just didn't come home one day and you tried to locate them but ICE is playing a shell game, transferring them from one location to another because they aren't interest in due process.' Show more U.S.-China trade talks kick off second day in London The U.S. and China are resuming trade talks in London today after yesterday's session. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick are leading the U.S. side. "I expect to go all day today," Lutnick told reporters. "So they're going well, we're spending lots of time together." Trump spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping last week and said in a post on Truth Social that it "resulted in a very positive conclusion for both Countries." "There should no longer be any questions respecting the complexity of Rare Earth products," Trump had said after the call, going on to point to the talks between the two countries' representatives. In recent weeks, both countries have accused each other of violating a preliminary trade agreement, which had walked back the steepest tariffs. Hegseth to testify before House Appropriations subcommittee this morning Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will appear before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense for an oversight hearing, marking the first time the Pentagon chief will deliver testimony to a House panel since his Senate confirmation. Hegseth will be joined by Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The House subcommittee is chaired by Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif. NBC News reported yesterday that the White House has struggled to hire senior advisers to Hegseth, with three people rejecting potential roles and Vice President JD Vance and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles poring over potential candidates on his behalf. Hegseth came under intense criticism after media reports that he shared sensitive information about a U.S. military operation in Yemen on Signal group chats, including one that inadvertently had a journalist added to it. 'We're happy to have this fight': Trump administration leans into California protests Trump's immigration agenda has met a groundswell of opposition in Los Angeles, the country's second-largest city. At least 56 people have been arrested so far in massive protests against the administration's immigration raids in the city Friday. The demonstrations have spilled over onto one of the region's largest freeways, and federal authorities are facing criticism after they arrested, and apparently injured, a prominent labor leader. In response, the White House has threatened to arrest California's governor and mobilized Marines to support National Guard troops in defending federal property — even though state officials say they don't want the assistance and are now suing the administration. For the White House, this scene — Trump battling a blue state over his signature issue — is a political win, officials said. It's a nationally watched saga of the sort that has long defined his career: a made-for-TV moment.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store