Richard M. Rossow
If the last four years have proved anything about U.S.-India strategic relations, it is that the partnership can thrive during turbulence. U.S.-India leaders can increasingly take trust for granted. The priority now is to seek new ways to deepen security collaboration that meet the two nations’ shared goals. India is strategically and geographically important, both as a pillar of strength in an uncertain region and as a military heavyweight facing its own serious challenges with China. It is vital for the next U.S. administration to quickly fill key roles that manage the relationship and affirm continued support for nascent areas of cooperation that will improve military coordination and interoperability.
Security cooperation between the United States and India continues to break new ground. In the last four years, India has taken steps that might have been hard to imagine two decades ago.
Four things stand out. First, on military interoperability, India joining the multination Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) based in Bahrain and taking on joint missions has been underplayed publicly. Just a few months after becoming a full member, the Indian Navy carried out its first vessel interdiction as part of its commitment. Second, the U.S. Navy has started to utilize Indian shipyards for repair work. Thus far, three Indian shipyards have been approved by the U.S. Navy to perform repair work on ships. Third, India is allowing the United States access to strategic geographies. In March 2024, the U.S. Coast Guard held sea exercises in collaboration with India in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, directly at the mouth of the Strait of Malacca, a vital shipping lane. And fourth, the Quad was elevated to an annual leaders-level summit.
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