By Colonel Awadhesh Kumar, Veteran Special Forces
India mounted a major politico -military negotiations to conclude the S400 missile deal with Russia right in the face of the US CAATSA Offensive. India, a continental size Sovereign Country with 125 crores population does not require any Permission or Certificate from any Country, Liechtenstein or USA, for doing any mutual deal business with any other Country.
So it is just not understood as to why certain kind of people in India itself have been debating and getting hoarse, talking about a NON GRANT of a Waiver to this mega Rs 50000 crores acquisition of five squadrons of S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems.
Yes, India is a friend of USA too and assurance has been given to Trump administration that it “will never compromise the operational secrecy” of the weapon systems it has bought or will buy from the USA.
As it is Americans are fully aware that India maintains robust technical firewalls, and does not pass sensitive military information of a friendly country to a third party. India respects the intellectual property rights and meticulously adhere to contracts inked with other countries.
Had the Americans not known this, they would have never sold their sensitive military equipment to India in the first place. Americans are also aware that that since 1960s both India and Russia have been close partners.
It was Russia which had stood by India when one American President in his foolish arrogance had tried to threaten India by sending a nuclear powered and nuclear armed aircraft carrier into the Bay of Bengal in 1971.
Still, just to balance between friendship with Russia with that of friendship with America, we had a 2+2 meet of Indo US Cabinets Ministers and then visit of Indian Cabinet Ministers to Russia. Then a top level military technical team led by IAF deputy chief Air Marshal R Nambiar (now Eastern Air Force Commander) visited the US and the visit was followed by national security advisor Ajit Doval in mid-September. Thus it was effectively and clearly conveyed to USA that secrets with respect to American Sourced equipment were absolutely safe.
Also India would in no way request for any waiver. The American Administration must find its own way out of its self created web or trap. Right after the effective “ conveyance ” to the US by India, China just imposed a retaliatory sanction on the USA because Trump imposed sanctions on China for purchasing S400 missiles from Russia.
So now Americans have realized that, even if a country like Turkey gets deterred from buying weapons from Russia, there is no way that China and India will even care for such pressure tactics and desist from buying Russian weapons or Iranian oil.
Americans know that the 5-400 systems is capable of capturing data of all flying platforms like aircraft and even incoming radar waves. The stealth characteristics, electronic warfare and other capabilities of the American fifth-generation F-35 Lightning-II fighters, for instance, can be recorded and analyzed by the powerful radars of the S-400 systems. Thus F-35s will become vulnerable to interception by the long-range missiles of the 5-4005, which is widely considered to be the most potent air defence or “area denial” system around the globe at present.
Then why throw tantrums. Americans should just ensure that they do not fly their F35 within range of Chinese or Indian S400 missile systems, once they are deployed. US defence secretary Jim Mattis and secretary of state Mike Pompeo, two very sensible Americans were in India for the two-plus-two dialogue. Both have strongly pushed for giving an automatic waiver to India from CAATSA to ensure American National interests under CAATSA.
However this is not happening because, there is changing political dynamics within the administration and President Donald Trump has personal strong views against New Delhi, trade and tariff policies.
He has even called India a “tariff king”. Though Trump should also know that even in 1998 India had cared two hoots for American Sanctions and just blasted an entry into the Nuclear Club when the time came.
Last month, US arrogantly used CAATSA to impose sanctions on Chinese entities for purchase of S-400 and in the bargain received sanctions from the Chinese. So sensible Americans in the US Administration, Military and Politics are hoping that Trump will issue a waiver, given that Trump Administration has recognised India as a major defense partner and is in advance stage of selling billions of dollars’ worth of equipment to India in the next few years.
Some Clever by Half American administrator will likely advocate the use of a sanctions waiver as leverage over India in other trade disputes. To give a waiver these flunkies are likely to advise extracting something for it. These flunkies should be aware that now the situation is such that USA needs India more than India needs USA.
So they should desist from trying any funny tactics against India. In case they try so, their entire Iran Policy, Indo Pacific Policy and Afghan Policy may just unravel followed by even the Middle East Policy.
Presently India is on a positive trajectory towards getting closer to the US and such issues needs to be avoided. So Shri Bolton, the USA National Security Advisor to Trump needs to bolt up to Shri Trump and advise that India has started looking at the world through prism fitted at Race Course Road and therefore in Delhi views from White House are nothing more than Non Sense.
