The United States (US) is reportedly deliberating on $500 million military aid package for India in a bid to reduce its reliance on Russian weapons. It forms part of a wider outreach strategy by the Biden administration to avoid levying sanctions against a key ally in the Indo-Pacific by instead offering it alternatives to Russian imports.
An unnamed official told Bloomberg that the package could include fighter jets, naval ships, and battle tanks and would make India one of the largest beneficiaries of US military aid after Egypt and Israel.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a US official said, “Washington wants to be seen as a reliable partner for India across the board,” adding that the government is working with other nations such as France to ensure that India has the equipment it needs.
The US and its allies view India as a “key security partner” in shoring up their defences against China in the Indo-Pacific. In this regard, the US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said at a 2+2 meeting in Washington last month: “We’re doing all this because the United States supports India as a defence industry leader in the Indo-Pacific and a net provider of security in the region,” adding, “And we all understand the challenges that we face there. The People’s Republic of China is seeking to refashion the region and the international system more broadly in ways that serve its interests.”
India doesn't need US 'military aid'. Forget about $500 million (which is absolutely nothing), even if $50 billion in aid is offered by the US, it won't lead to India turning to the US as a new anchor arms source. Indigenization is well underway.
— Saurav Jha (@SJha1618) May 18, 2022
New Delhi is the world’s biggest importer of Russian weapons and has purchased over $25 billion of military equipment from Russia over the past decade, compared to $4 billion from the US.
India’s dependence on Russia for weapons to counter attacks from China and Pakistan has prompted the country to assume a neutral stance on the Ukraine war. New Delhi has refused to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine publicly and has repeatedly abstained from voting on United Nations resolutions against Russia.
Furthermore, oil imports from Russia have increased by four times since 2021, after Russia offered discounts of up to 20% during a period when oil prices have reached record levels.
While some White House officials have warned of sanctions over doing business with Russia, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has stressed that rather than placing secondary sanctions, the Biden administration will instead prioritise becoming a “partner in reducing [India’] reliance” on Russia.
This is keeping in line with the US’ reluctance to jeopardise ties with India even before the Ukraine war. For instance, the Biden administration has refused to use the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) against India over its purchase of S-400 air defence system from Russia, but has sanctioned Turkey over the purchase of the same equipment.
In fact, at the 2+2 meeting last month, Secretary of State Antony Blinken underscored that the US is ready to replace Russia as a “security partner of choice” for India so that the Biden administration would not have to consider invoking CAATSA in the first place.
The latest revelations about a military aid package come ahead of Modi’s attendance at a G7 meeting next month as well as the upcoming Quad meeting in Tokyo with the US, Japan, and Australia next week.