India, US share military logistics |
India and the United States have agreed in principle to share military logistics, US defense secretary Ashton Carter said , as both sides seek to counter the growing maritime assertiveness of China.Washington has been urging New Delhi to sign the Logistics Support Agreement that allows the two militaries to use each other`s land, air and naval bases for resupplies, repair and rest.But after years of dithering, the two sides said an agreement was in hand, although not yet ready for signing. Carter said after talks with his defence minister Manohar Parrikar that they now need to finalise the draft. New Delhi has had concerns that the logistics agreement will draw it into a military alliance with the United States and undermine its traditional autonomy.But Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s administration, faced with an assertive China expanding its influence in the South China Sea and into the Indian Ocean, has signalled its desire to draw closer to the United States. China is also a close ally of India`s arch rival, Pakistan.
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