M A I N   N E W S

India, USA revive armed forces’ interface

New Delhi, February 4
Ending a five-year freeze, India and the USA today revived their interaction at the armed forces steering committee focussing on probability of holding joint special forces manoeuvres and working out a mechanism on intelligence sharing.

The three-day Indo-US Executive Steering Group on Army, meeting for the first time after the summer of 1997 and post-1998 Pokhran nuclear tests freeze, held a marathon session today and would continue deliberations for the next two days, official sources said.

The US delegation is led by a Commander of the US army contingent in the US Pacific Command Major-Gen James Campbell, while the Indian team was headed by the Director-General of Military Operations, Lt-Gen S.S. Chahal, and included top officers from Military Intelligence, Navy as well as the IAF.

Simultaneously, the Joint Naval Executive Steering Group would open its three-day deliberations in Chennai tomorrow. The American 7th Fleet Commander Vice-Admiral James Wallace Metzger, would head the US side, while the Deputy Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral S.V. Gopalachari would lead the Indian Navy team.

Though officials were tightlipped saying “some details” on the confabulation would be released tomorrow, highly-placed sources said terrorism and exchange of personnel dominated the talks.

India and the USA, during the recent visit of Defence Minister George Fernandes to Washington, have signed an agreement on sharing of intelligence and strategic regional perceptions.

The US forces have long been keen on joint manoeuvres between its Special Delta forces and the Indian Army paracommando units and joint exercises being visualised would appear to be most likely on anti-terrorism mode.

The Americans have also been keen to send more of their personnel to specialised Indian Army schools like the Counter Insurgency Warfare School in Varangte in Mizoram and High Altitude Warfare School in Gulmarg.

Officials said the Naval steering group would discuss the continuation of the Malabar series of Passix exercises and also upgradation of ocean manoeuvres to joint search and rescue missions as well as matters of mutual cooperation. The steering groups submit their proposals to the Joint Defence Policy group.

The visiting 7th fleet commander Admiral Metzger has already toured the Eastern Naval Command at Vizag, but cancelled his trip to the Western Naval Command at Mumbai following alleged terrorist threats.

The joint steering group on the Air Force would be meeting later this month from February 18 at the US Pacific Command headquarters in Hawai. The IAF delegation would be led by the Vice Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal S.G. Inamdar. PTI