SYLLABUS
GS-2: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
Context: Days after his two-day official visit to New Delhi on December 4-5, Russia President Vladimir Putin has signed into federal law, RELOS – a major military cooperation agreement with India.
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- The Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Support (RELOS) was ratified by both houses of the Russian Parliament before receiving presidential approval.
- The key military pact will enter into force after the exchange of instruments of ratification between the two countries.
Features of RELOS Agreement:
- The agreement sets out procedures governing the movement of military formations, warships and military aircraft between Russia and India, as well as the arrangements for providing logistical support to each other’s forces.
- It will facilitate the mutual use of airspace by Russian and Indian military aircraft, and has provisions related to port calls by warships of both countries.
- It is designed to regulate not only the dispatch of troops and military equipment, but also the logistics associated with such deployments. This includes support services that may be required when forces from either country operate on the other’s territory.
- The established framework is intended to be applied during joint military exercises and training activities, as well as in situations involving humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.
- The agreement also allows for its provisions to be used in other scenarios, subject to mutual consent by both sides.
Significance for India:
- For India, RELOS provides an institutional framework for access to Russian air and naval bases, from Vladivostok on the Pacific to Murmansk on the Arctic, for refuelling, repairs, and maintenance, boosting operational reach and readiness, especially for Russian-origin equipment.
- It supports India’s broader Indo-Pacific strategy by leveraging Russia’s extensive network: access to over 40 Russian bases will help the Indian Navy and Air Force to operate further from home, and during long-range deployments.
- It enables India to preserve at a time of geopolitical strain, sanctions pressure and supply-chain disruption.
- Tailored to the India-Russia dynamic, it will deepen the existing defence partnership and bolster India’s position in a multipolar world.
Similar pacts with Other Nations:
- India has signed similar logistics agreements with nations like France, Singapore, South Korea, Australia, Japan and the most significant one with the United States (US) which are:
- LEMOA (Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement), inked in 2016, enables the US and Indian militaries to refuel from one another’s military bases and get supplies, spare parts, and services from each other’s land facilities, air bases, and ports.
- COMCASA (Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement), inked in 2018, permits the US to give India encrypted communications equipment and systems, allowing Indian and US military leaders and their planes and ships to communicate over secure networks in both peace and conflict.
- BECA (Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement) facilitates sharing of high-end military technology, including access to US geo-spatial, satellite, and drone data.