India welcomes US offer of nuclear cooperation

India welcomes US offer of nuclear cooperation

Saturday, March 26, 2005 (New Delhi):

The offer by the US to upgrade strategic cooperation and sell F-16s and F-18s to India has been welcomed by the Ministry of External Affairs.

While a similar offer to Pakistan was long expected, the gesture towards India is being seen as a departure from previous US policy.

The sale of nuclear energy was one of the major issues that were discussed between Prime minister Manmohan Singh and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during her recent visit.

A balancing act

For Pakistan, it's the culmination of a two-decade long campaign to acquire the F-16 fighter aircraft with the Bush administration finally clearing the sale.

"We can buy as many (aircraft) as we want. We are very happy about this. This will enable us to restore conventional balance with India," said Sheikh Rashid, spokesperson, Pakistan Foreign Ministry.

But the US has also tried to pacify India by announcing a series of measures to upgrade Indo-US strategic defence relations.

These include the supply of F-18 fighter planes, civilian nuclear energy and nuclear safety cooperation to India.

India has welcomed this offer.

"The decision by the US administration to move forward on nuclear energy cooperation is welcome and reflects an understanding of India's growing energy requirements," said Navtej Sarna, spokesperson, External Affairs Ministry.

India had earlier conveyed its reservations over the sale of F-16s to Pakistan to the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during her visit here last week.

Concern over F-16s

But what is worrying is that the F-16s are capable of delivering nuclear warheads.

Many believe that the sale of F-16s to either India or Pakistan can only escalate tension in the region.

The US has offered the F-16 aircraft to India as well but as India does not buy defence equipment from the US, the deal in unlikely to go through.

Pakistan had struck a deal with the United States to buy the nuclear-capable F-16 fighter jets in the late 1980s. No contradiction: Rice

But the agreement was scrapped in the 1990s when Washington imposed sanctions on Islamabad over its nuclear weapons programme.

Since then, Islamabad, which had paid in advance for the F-16s, has been pressuring Washington to supply the rest of the planes.

The renewal of sales to Pakistan is being seen as the US response to Pakistan's cooperation in the global hunt for terrorists.

Multi-role jet

The multi-role jet - intended for aerial combat and ground attacks - flew more sorties than any other aircraft during the 1991 Gulf War.

Its success has helped Lockheed Martin sell more than 4,000 planes to about 20 countries.

Each costs about 25 million dollars.

The F-16 is 14.8 meters in length, with a wingspan of 9.8 meters. It comes in a one- and two-seat model.

Capable of flying at twice the speed of sound at an altitude of 12,200 metres, it has an action range of 925 kilometres.

'Decision prompted by new context'

The US state department has said that the decision should be seen in the context of change in South Asia.

"It's important to look at the limited question of planes in the broader context of an overall approach to long-term stability and security in the region," said Adam J Ereli, spokesperson, US State Department.

"I think that's in contrast to what we see in South Asia where you see a thaw, a lessening of tensions, a steady progression of engagement, of dialogue, of compromise.

"And hey look, Musharraf is going to India in the near future. And you have all the trendlines going in a positive direction," Ereli said.

Analysts worried

However, analysts are fairly critical of the decision to sell F-16s to Pakistan as it may use it to threaten India.

"I think the big mistake here in making this sale at this time is in not asking Pakistan to show any restraint in its nuclear weapons side of things at all," said Michael O'Hanlon, fellow, Brookings Institution.

"And I think it would be realistic and reasonable to say to Pakistan, you need to at least put some ceiling, some constraints on your nuclear capability."

O'Hanlon said the US is not so naive as to believe that Pakistan would get rid of its nuclear arms. He said there is a need to "see some sign of real conviction" that they "are not going to keep expanding and improving this nuclear arsenal".

from ndtv.com