A 'soft' alliance of power

The consecutive visits of the US and German defense ministers to India have raised questions about Washington and Berlin's calculations regarding defense cooperation with New Delhi.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on June 5. (Source: REUTERS)

For a long time, the US and India have held annual military exercises to improve the interoperability of their forces. The two countries have also strengthened cooperation in the development and production of military equipment. Notably, the US has now surpassed Russia to become India's largest arms supplier.

While not as dynamic as US-India relations, German-Indian defense cooperation also has considerable substance. The strategic significance of this relationship can be seen in the project where Berlin will build six submarines for New Delhi at a cost of $5.2 billion to help India increase its influence in the oceans.

Furthermore, as part of their Indo- Pacific strategy, the US and Germany plan to elevate defense relations between Washington and Berlin and New Delhi to a new level. The primary reason for this is that India is currently a leading strategic partner of both the US and Germany in Asia.

However, the main objective of the US and Germany in aligning with India is believed to be aimed at China and Russia, countries that Washington and Berlin consider rivals. While the US criticizes China's "hegemonic ambitions," Germany openly states that Berlin "has no interest in India continuing to rely on Russian weapons."

To further attract India, during this visit, the US and German defense ministers proposed several important military cooperation projects. For example, the US is ready to sell India 30 MQ-9B armed drones at a cost of over $3 billion. Germany, on the other hand, is undertaking a submarine construction project for India.

Building a "soft" alliance of power with India is what the US and Germany hope for. This is essentially a consolidation of forces to increase competitiveness in the global race.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/hop-tac-quoc-phong-my-duc-an-do-lien-minh-mem-quyen-luc-230214.html