Says Indian assistance could include logistical support, planning & joint training and stresses joint naval patrol in the Indian Ocean.

India has a “critical role” to play in breaking the stalemate in Afghanistan, the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Forces has said, calling for enhancing trilateral cooperation among Afghanistan, India and the U.S.

In a report accompanying the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) 2018, the committee also called for enhancing the overall defence cooperation between the U.S. and India, and “eventually joint naval patrol of the Indian Ocean.”

The Senate Committee also pulled up the Department of Defence for not making faster progress in improving cooperation between India and the U.S. While acknowledging improvement in partnership, the report said the committee was “concerned by a growing gap between the overarching goals of the bilateral defence relationship and the Department’s implementation of these objectives.”

Refined approach

The committee specifically noted the delay by the Pentagon in designating an individual within the Department to “coordinate and expedite bilateral defence cooperation,” as required by last year’s NDAA. The lawmakers’ body said “appointing such an individual would bring a refined approach to prioritising defence cooperation and aligning it with missions like maritime awareness and anti-submarine warfare, and eventually joint naval patrol of the Indian Ocean.”

India has been less than enthusiastic about joint patrol and cautious while expanding cooperation with the Afghan government. India has a strategic partnership agreement with Afghanistan, but its military component remains limited.

“The committee is concerned by the current stalemate in Afghanistan, and believes that the United States should leverage the capabilities of allies and partners to more effectively secure regional stability and security. The committee believes that the United States needs to recommit to the fight in Afghanistan and that India, as a major defence partner of the United States and a contributor to regional security, has a critical role to play in this effort,” the report said.

Targeted support

It noted that John W. Nicholson, Commander of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan, has highlighted “significant short-term material and training needs within the Afghan Air Force, and has personally urged India to provide this targeted support to meet urgent gaps.” The report said the assistance could include logistical support, joint training, combined military planning, threat analysis, intelligence, materiel, and maintenance support for Afghan National Defence and Security Forces for humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, security assistance.

The report noted the “positive adjustment of U.S. export controls for defence articles sold to India” after last year’s NDAA, but called for faster progress and focused approach. It said the 2012 Defence Technology and Trade Initiative has six ‘‘pathfinder’’ initiatives, which need to be more in alignment with the Joint Strategic Vision between the two countries.