Indo-US exercise: Antony wary of political fallout

Defence Minister A K Antony told the US Ambassador in 2008 that he welcomed the increasing Indo-US joint military exercises.

Defence Minister A K Antony told the US Ambassador in 2008 that he welcomed the increasing Indo-US joint military exercises but was not comfortable with highlighting them to avoid political controversies,a leaked US diplomatic cable claims. The leaked cable,dated May 2008,describes a meeting between Antony and Ambassador David Mulford where the latter raised the issue that US was getting mixed signals from India on joint training exercises.

Mulford gave the example of a port visit by the USS Cole warship that the media was not allowed to cover. Responding to this,Antony said that while there were no problems with the exercises,India is a complex democracy with various parliamentary committees and political parties that had competing interests. We have no problem with the exercises as such,but how to highlight them can be a problem, Antony is quoted as telling Mulford.

However,the minister said he welcomed the increasing military interaction between the two countries. So while the Ministry of Defense welcomes the exercises themselves,political tensions can dictate that the events receive less visibility than we may want. We dont want to create a political controversy by proceeding in a high profile manner, he reasoned, the cable says.

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The cable reflects the view within the Defence Ministry that military relations with the US should not be over hyped,leading to a cutting down of media coverage of major exercises. The five nation Malabar naval exercise of 2007 the largest military exercise that India has participated in was a particular example of toning down when media coverage is ruled out.

The leaked cable also throws light on the use of US diplomacy to promote defence purchases by India. In the same meeting,Mulford is described as advocating the sale of military equipment,including the Honeywell F125FN engine for the Jaguar fighter upgrade. The cable describes Mulford as advocating for Sikorsky on the bid for Indias VVIP helicopter,noting the American companys reputation,partnership with manufacturer Tata Industries,cost competitiveness,and the opportunity to help develop Indias indigenous production capabilities. Interestingly,while Sikorsky lost out to Augusta Westland in the VVIP helicopter deal,India has not yet decided on the Jaguar upgrade after Honeywell came out as the only competitor.