U.S. State Department approved a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to India worth $131 million to support the Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) initiative. This deal marks significant progress under the Quad grouping’s strategic plan for the region.
Key Highlights
- Total estimated cost: $131 million.
- Purpose: To support the U.S.-India strategic relationship and bolster the security of India, a major defence partner.
- Impact on region:
- Strengthens political stability, peace, and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific and South Asia.
- Will not alter the basic military balance in the region.
- Benefit for India:
- Enhances India’s maritime domain awareness (MDA), analytical capabilities, and strategic posture.
- Helps India address current and future maritime threats.
- India will easily absorb this hardware into its armed forces.
Main Contractor
- Hawkeye 360, Herndon, Virginia.
- Offset agreements will be negotiated between India and the contractor.
- Final dollar value may be lower depending on final requirements.
What India Is Buying?
- SeaVision software, including enhancements.
- Technical Assistance Field Team (TAFT) training.
- Remote software and analytic support.
- Access to SeaVision documentation.
- Other logistics and program support.
About Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA)
- Launched by: Quad (India, Australia, Japan, U.S.) at the Tokyo Summit, May 2022.
- Objective:
- Track “dark shipping” (vessels that turn off transponders to evade detection).
- Build a faster, broader, more accurate maritime picture of near-real-time activities.
- Coverage areas:
- Pacific Islands,
- Southeast Asia,
- Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
- Tested: on pilot scale over the past two years; preparing for full-scale launch soon.
- Aim:
- Improve monitoring and securing maritime activities.
- Ensure safety of critical sea lines of communication.
- Enhance regional cooperation among like-minded nations.
Strategic Importance
- Strengthens India-U.S. defence ties.
- Positions India as a key player in Indo-Pacific security architecture.
- Supports the Quad’s mission to ensure a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific.