The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD), better known as "Quad," took another key step toward its key goal of becoming an anti-China military alliance with the signing by the United States and India of a military agreement to share spy satellite data.
On Tuesday, visiting U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and India Defense Minister Rajnath Singh signed the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for GeoSpatial Cooperation (BECA) in New Delhi, which makes this intelligence sharing possible.
Under this specific BECA agreement, India is given access to topographical, nautical and aeronautical data seen as vital for targeting India missiles and armed aerial drones. It will also allow the U.S. to provide advanced aviation navigational aids and electronic systems on aircraft supplied by the U.S. to India.
"We stand shoulder-to-shoulder in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific for all, particularly in light of increasing aggression and destabilizing activities by China," said Esper.
The deal signed by Esper and Singh is the fourth and final foundational BECA agreement. The other three signed previously by India and the U.S. are the General Security of Military Information Agreement in 2002; the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement in 2016 and Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement in 2018.
Esper met Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the BECA signing. Modi said the comprehensive global strategic partnership between India and the U.S. stands on a firm foundation of shared principles and common strategic interests.
Jaishankar took an indirect dig at China saying the ability of India and the U.S. to work closely in defense and foreign policy "has a larger resonance. Together, we can make a real difference when it comes to regional and global challenges, whether it is in respecting territorial integrity, promoting maritime awareness, countering terrorism or ensuring prosperity."
Esper is in India along with Pompeo. Both leaders met with Singh and Jaishankar for the U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue.
The signing of all four BECA agreements transforms India into a close strategic partner of the U.S. despite the absence of a formal military alliance. This alliance, when announced, will be based on QSD, which consists of the U.S. India, Australia and Japan.
QSD aims to establish an "Asian Arc of Democracy" that will ultimately include countries in Central Asia, Mongolia, South Korea, the Southeast Asian countries, and "virtually all the countries on China's periphery, except for China itself."
A Quad meeting in Tokyo last week discussed ways to counter China's growing imperialism. Attending the Tokyo talks were U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, India Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi.
