Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA)

Context :

• With objective of deepening the cooperation in Defense, the United States and India have signed the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) during the recent visit of US Secretary of State to India for the ‘2+2’ dialogue on October, 2020

• The Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement comes as a kind of natural follow up to the three previously signed foundational pacts, namely, the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) and the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA).

• The purpose of the foundational agreements is to enhance interoperability between the armed forces of the US and India. 

What the Agreement is About (BECA) ?

• Under Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA), the type of information that is allowed to be shared is ‘geospatial’. 

 + Maps and Charts having strategic significance can be categorized as geospatial information. 

• BECA has provisions for bilateral exchange of mostly unclassified data which can be useful for targeting and navigation in the areas of common interest. 

• While facilitating a framework for interoperability and sharing of secure and other information BECA also allows India to purchase or lease some strategic platforms of the US which were inaccessible so far.

Scope of Information Shared Under BECA

• As previously pointed out that geospatial maps and charts between US and India can be shared under the provisions of BECA; these are generally collected from various sources like satellites, UAVs, reconnaissance aircraft, aerostats etc. 

• The geospatial information thus available can be crucial for identification, update and tracking of multiple types of targets and their location on land and in coastal region. 

• The bilateral nature of the agreement obligates India also to share similar information with the US that again can be useful for enhancing the accuracy of interpretations for long-range navigation and missile-targeting.

Benefits of BECA :

• This could be enhance Air Force-to-Air Force cooperation between India and the US.

• BECA will provide Indian military systems with a high-quality and most accurate GPS to navigate missiles with real-time intelligence to precisely target the adversary.

• Besides the sailing of ships, flying off aircraft, fighting of wars, and location of targets, geospatial intelligence is also critical to the response to natural disasters.

Early Three Foundational Pacts :

1. About General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), 2002 :

To facilitates technology cooperation in the military sector by allowing classified information share between the US government and American companies, with the Indian Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSU) but not with Indian private companies. Industrial Security Annex (ISA), later, ended this restriction on Indian private sector.

 

2. Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA), 2016 :

The agreement lay provisions for defence related logistics support during port calls, joint exercises, training and Humanitarian and Disaster Relief.

LEMOA is extremely useful for India-US Navy-to-Navy cooperation, since the two countries are cooperating closely in the Indo-Pacific.

It was enhanced the mutual trust of the two militaries (India-US). 

3. Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA), 2018 :

COMCASA was signed in September 2018, after the first 2+2 dialogue during which then External Minister Mrs. Sushma Swaraj  and then Defence Minister Mrs. Nirmala Sitharaman.

The pact allows Indian Armed Forces to have secure encrypted communication through specialised equipment and access to Anti-Spoofing  Module GPS system amongst others.

The ‘2+2’ Dialogue :

• It is the highest-level institutional mechanism for dialogue between the two countries.

• In this format of dialogue the defense/foreign ministers or secretaries meet with their counterparts from another country.

• India holds such intractions with Australia, Japan and the USA.

Concerns :

• Despite India being a resident Indian Ocean power, it has concerns regarding synchronising its systems with those of the US which will allow US to enter India’s decision-making loop and this is not preferable for any sovereign country.

• Not having converging views regarding Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and having different perspectives on many Indian Ocean issues only emphasizes to the point.  

• These basic agreements are a product of the American executive setup and not a treaty approved by the US Senate. So, India must be clear that the US is not obliged to provide it with any technology that India asks under GSOMIA, neither will it have any obligation to provide us geospatial data in every circumstance.

• These agreements are also subject to change in US administration as the US Presidential elections are recently concluded. 

Practical Benefits for India :

• After signing of LEMOA in 2016, BECA was expected to follow but it could be signed only now because such agreements are subject to rigorous negotiations.

• Yet, BECA has been signed at a time when India is engaged in a standoff with China in Line of Actual Control in  Ladakh and the US has been vocal about the threat from Beijing. In this regard the timing of the deal becomes significant.

• Enhancement of monitoring of the activities, troop build-up, infrastructure development etc. across the border will definitely have positive impact after the BECA.

Conclusion :

• India has become the ‘Major Defense Partner’ and the largest trading partner of the US.

• The India-US relationship was elevated to a Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership during the last visit of US President to India.

• Every agreement and memorandum signed between the two nations has adds to confidence building in the long term as a decade before relationship between US and India could not have been imagined to be where it is today.  

Penned by ~

                         Mr. Vivek Shukla