The US and Indian teams during their joint statement after the culmination of the 2+2 Dialogue
New Delhi: US secretary of state Michael Pompeo and defence secretary Mark Esper were in New Delhi for bilateral talks and signing of defence-related agreement and the one for exchange of satellite data with India’s defence minister Rajnath Singh and foreign minister S Jaishankar.
These four senior officials met for what has come to be known in the diplomatic parlance as “India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue” or, simply, “2+2 Dialogue”.
The 2020 Dialogue was the third in the series and took place days before the US presidential election, in which the two signed the BECA (Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for geospatial cooperation).
It will provide the militaries of the two nations with access to each other’s extremely accurate geospatial data and satellite data on defence-related issues with the provision for exchange of even classified data.
The agreement will help in improving the accuracy of the missile systems of India.
Read also: India, US sign crucial defence pact BECA
After the meeting, the four ministers made an announcement about the signing of crucial defence pact among five other agreements.
What is BECA?
• The Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) for geospatial cooperation is primarily a communication agreement proposed between the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency of the US department of defence and the India’s defence ministry.
• The agreement will allow India and the US to exchange important military information such as advanced satellite and topographic data, including maps, nautical and aeronautical charts and geophysical, geodetic, geomagnetic and gravity data.
• Most of the information exchanged will be unclassified and it will be shared in either digital or printed format. The BECA also includes the provision of sharing classified information as well, with proper safeguards to ensure that it is not shared with any third party.
• BECA is the last of the four foundational agreements signed between India and the US for strengthening defence ties. The other three agreements include:
1. General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) in 2002. A follow-up extension agreement – Industrial Security Annex (ISA) – was signed in 2019.
2. The Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016.
3. The Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) in 2018.
• These agreements covered areas including security and military information, compatibility and security and logistics exchange and communications. BECA aims to enhance the geospatial cooperation between India and the US.
Read also: 2+2 Dialogue focuses on Indo-Pacific, maritime security, counterterrorism
How BECA would help India?
Under the BECA, the US armed forces will provide advanced navigational aids and avionics and share geospatial intelligence with India that will help boost the accuracy of Indian military's automated hardware systems and weapons such as drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles.
The data procured under the agreement will be relevant for India’s northern and western borders, which will be crucial given the current geopolitical situation.
How BECA would impact China?
• The BECA will help India and the US in countering China's growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
• The two QUAD partners have also been focused on increasing engagement with their other two QUAD partners – Australia and Japan. Australia has also been included in the Malabar naval drill that will be held next month near Indian waters. With this, the Malabar exercise will now see participation from all four QUAD nations.
• The BECA will also help narrow India's military gap with China in the wake of India-China border tensions. India and China have been engaged in a border standoff since April-May after the Chinese PLA (People's Liberation Army) transgressed into multiple areas into the Indian territory.
Read also: India, US to expand cooperation under 2+2 framework
Background
The BECA has been under negotiations between India and the US for over a decade, as the previous UPA government was concerned about whether it would impact India’s national security, as, under the bilateral agreement, India will also be expected to share similar data with the United States.
The agreement is one of the few basic deals that the US signs with its close partners.
