U/S EDELMAN AND DEFMIN ANTONY AGREE ON POSITIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 007885

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/17/2021
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR MASS MCAP KSTC KOMC IN
SUBJECT: U/S EDELMAN AND DEFMIN ANTONY AGREE ON POSITIVE
DIRECTION OF THE RELATIONSHIP IN FOLLOW-ON TO DEFENSE
POLICY GROUP

Classified By: Ambassador David Mulford for Reasons 1.4 (B, D)


1. (C) Summary. Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony told
Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Eric Edelman that his
ministry assessed that the Defense Policy Group meeting had
been a success, and that he anticipated further U.S.-India
cooperation in the future, adding that on the whole the
military-military relationship is moving in the right
direction. U/S Edelman concurred with the assessment, and
both agreed that the goal for the future should be that more
can and should be achievable in the mil-mil field. U/S
Edelman told Antony that the Department of Defense has
decided to make the electronic scanning AESA radar available
to U.S. companies competing for India's multi-role combat
aircraft (MRCA) contract. The two also discussed the
situation in Afghanistan and prospects for the civilian
nuclear cooperation initiative. End summary.


2. (C) In a courtesy call meeting immediately following the
conclusion of the Defense Policy Group (DPG) in November 16,
Undersecretary Edelman described for Defense Minister A.K.
Antony his assessment that the DPG had gone very well and had
built on the basis of the Defense Framework agreed to by
Secretary Rumsfeld and then-Defense Minister Mukherjee in

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June 2005. He briefed Antony on the DoD decision to make
electronic scanning radar available to U.S. companies
competing for the MRCA, stressing not only the advanced
capabilities of the radar system but also the opportunity
such a purchase would have to enhance joint cooperation and
interoperability.


3. (C) Antony said he had been briefed by his staff on the
DPG, and was happy to hear that it had been so useful.
Noting it was the second DPG since the Defense Framework had
been agreed on, he said bilateral relations are progressing
and added it is Indian government policy to expand
cooperation with the United States. He also noted that the
number and scale of joint military exercises has increased,
as well as defense acquisitions from the U.S. Two large
democracies such as the U.S. and India, with their equally
large bureaucracies, are bound to have problems implementing
procurement policies, he said, but on the whole things are
moving in the right direction.


4. (C) U/S Edelman said he agreed with the Minister's
assessment, and added that, given the breadth and depth of
our exchanges, more frequent meetings at the working level
are required. He described changes taking place within DoD
and explained that there will now be a new position at the
Assistant Secretary level ready to lead a Joint Defense Group
to more fully discuss the strategic military relationship.
Minister Antony welcomed the idea, and encouraged the
military-to-military meetings to become even more meaningful,
adding that frank exchanges and feedback from both sides is
essential.


5. (C) U/S Edelman then described for Antony meetings he had

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held the day before with National Security Advisor Narayanan
and Foreign Secretary Menon (reported septel),where they
discussed, inter alia, the situation in Afghanistan. Citing
the President's statements, U/S Edelman assured the Defense
Minister that the U.S. remains committed to helping
Afghanistan become a stable and prosperous country. Antony
expressed the GOI's concern that the Taliban was
strengthening and that Pakistan was providing a safehaven for
insurgents. U/S Edelman reported on discussions held during
the DPG on Afghanistan, where the U.S. and India had noted
parallel concerns in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and described
upcoming steps the U.S. is taking, such as sending 4-star
General McNeill to take over NATO forces in February and
providing a supplemental funding bill to provide adequate
resources.


6. (C) The meeting ended with a brief discussion on prospects
for the passage of the civil nuclear cooperation initiative
bill, which Ambassador Mulford said was likely to be voted on
in the Senate later in the day. U/S Edelman noted the
civ-nuke deal was not a DoD issue per se, but offered that
the DoD strongly supported the deal and described efforts he
had personally taken to support it. Antony closed the
meeting by reiterating his ministry's assessment that the DPG
was "most useful," and said he hoped even more could be
accomplished in the future.


7. (U) U/S Edelman has not cleared this cable.
MULFORD