Indian party wants to end US military ties

From DefenseNews

Indian Party Wants To End Military Ties With U.S.

By vivek raghuvanshi

Published: 1 Apr 12:58 EDT (08:58 GMT)

NEW DELHI -Increasing defense cooperation with the United States is likely to shorten the life of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government here as its main supporter on the left, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM), has resolved to end India's military relationship with the United States.

Without the support of India's Communist parties, the alliance government will find it difficult to remain in power until its term ends in mid-2009.

Meeting March 29, the CPM's 19th Congress called for ending the Indo-U.S. military relationship.

"The defense framework agreement and the nuclear cooperation agreement are parts of an overarching alliance," CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat said at the meeting, held at Coimbatore in southern India. "We have to undo the military collaboration agreement. We have to continue the struggle to disentangle India from the strategic U.S. embrace."

India's strategic partnership with the United States was forged during Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Washington in July 2005.

The military ties between the two countries boomed after September 2001, when Washington lifted the U.S. sanctions against New Delhi, which immediately led to the sale of the Firefinder radar to India. The two countries have since agreed to cooperate on civil nuclear energy. The Indian Navy bought the landing platform dock USS Trenton, retired by the U.S. Navy and now rechristened INS Jalashwa. A deal has been struck for the sale of six C-130 J transport aircraft from U.S. company Lockheed Martin to India .

In September 2007, India, the United States, Japan, Australia and Singapore joined to hold one of the biggest naval exercises in Indian waters.

The UPA government is unlikely to reverse its friendship with Washington. The Communist parties could withdraw their support from the governing alliance at any time.

[CV32: Interesting scenario fodder here, for sure. On a specific note, what would this do to a potential MMRCA fighter jet contract award to a US company? What about the P-8I Poseidon? etc]