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Illustrative Image: The aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) sails through the Atlantic Ocean. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Michael B. Zingaro/Released)
The US wants to be able to perform maintenance and resupply vessels in India
Originally published on AntiWar
The US wants to turn India into a center for resupplying and maintenance of naval vessels in South Asia as part of its military buildup against China in the region, Nikkei Asia reported Thursday.
The US has no military bases in India but has been working on increasing military ties with New Delhi in recent years. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently visited Washington and signed a slew of defense agreements with President Biden.
According to Nikkei, the US will provide India with support to develop infrastructure to resupply, repair, and maintain ships and aircraft. Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said the aim is to “make India a logistics hub for the United States and other partners in the Indo-Pacific region.”
The US Navy is working on signing deals with Indian shipyards as part of the effort. The idea is to make it easier for US warships and warplanes to operate in the region without having to travel too far for maintenance.
The US and India are both members of the Quad, a security grouping that also includes Australia and Japan. In 2020, the four nations began conducting joint military exercises, and US officials are calling for more joint air and naval deployments with India to counter China in the region.
The US has also increased cooperation with India over its disputed border with China in the Himalayas, known as the Line of Actual Control. According to a report from US News, the US provided India with unprecedented intelligence sharing that helped Indian troops in a clash with Chinese soldiers along the LAN in December 2022 that resulted in dozens of injuries.
