Sarmad Ali Khan
Mr Sarmad Ali Khan is pursuing his MS in International Relations from Bahria University Islamabad Campus (BUIC).
DOI: http://DOI Number
Keywords: Asia-Pacific, strategic partnership, autonomous weapons, Quad, military, nuclear weapons
Abstract
Washington’s rebalancing approach towards the Asia-Pacific came in the form of a strategic reliance on New Delhi to counter Beijing’s rise. The underlying strategic logic behind the Pivot to Asia-Pacific policy and the Indo-Pacific Strategy Report is shared economic and security interests between the US and India in addition to an indispensable Indian role as a major power in the region. Both India and the US carried out a major overhaul in their respective foreign policies while considering China as a common threat. Indian military modernisation and its recent military doctrines have been influenced by the US and are in line with Washington’s policy trajectory. Recent Indo-US military agreements and defence deals have altered the traditional alliance structures in the region. India has gained access to conventional and disruptive technologies by using the American military hardware in the form of autonomous weapons, cyber technologies, innovative intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, etc. Moreover, by joining the US-led alliance, India has managed to increase its sphere of operations and outreach in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Washington’s strategic altruism, putting all eggs into one basket, might prove beneficial in tackling the Chinese economic and strategic rise. However, it remains highly probable that once India positions itself into a specific threshold in the world order, it might become more proactive and aggressive, which would be more detrimental for the American national interest than for China. This is evident from its policies in South Asia, which are now evidently manifest in the Indian Ocean too.
First Published
December 25, 2020
How to Cite
Sarmad Ali Khan, “Swaying the Strategic Belt: US-India Military Partnership in the Asia-Pacific,” Regional Studies 38, no.4 (Winter 2020): 66-82, https://regionalstudies.com.pk/wp/article/swaying-the-strategic-belt-us-india-military-partnership-in-the-asia-pacific/
Issue
Volume 38, Issue 4