RELOS Agreement: Urgent and Important for India and Russia

RELOS Agreement is also a type of logistics support agreement that enables the armed forces of two nations to use each other’s bases and facilities for logistic supports such as refueling, maintenance work, and supply. These agreements are critical to increasing the operational range and sustainability of military forces, particularly in joint operations or during crisis. These type of agreements are called RELOS in terms of logistics, which is one example for all logistic agreements that be wdbos Login signed by countries to maintain military establishment and teamwork.

India has similar logistics agreements with other countries, including the US (LEMOA), France, Australia and Japan and South Korea. As part of those agreements, the two militaries agreed to boost strategic cooperation and enable mutual logistical support at joint exercises as well during conduct of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.

That said, India and Russia had faced difficulties in finalizing the RELOS due to their strong historical defense relationship. Russia is one of the biggest arms suppliers to India and both countries have long-standing defense ties.

Historical Context of India-Russia Defense Relations

India and Russia share strong defense ties from the days of Cold War. The Soviet Union supported India during the Cold War and served as its principal supplier of military equipment. This relationship merely extended for the Soviet Union post-dissolution, with India maintaining its defence relations from Russia. India has bought nearly 70% of its military equipment from Russia over the decades, primarily planes, tanks and submarines as well as missiles.

The defense cooperation between the two nations has seen extensive sharing of military hardware and joint projects such as that on developing BrahMos supersonic cruise missile or licence-production including in India for Sukhoi Su-30MKI multi-role fighters. While India has worked to diversify its defense procurement sources, Russia remains a linchpin in Indian defence strategy.

The RELOS Agreement: Strategic Importance

The signing of a RELOS agreement with Russia would permit Indian and Russian military personnel to utilize each other’s logistics facilities & bases thus providing for greater operational capacities and scope in the region. This would be especially helpful while conducting joint military exercises and exponential force deployment situations.

India extrolled the virtue of Russian logistical facilities because The Russians have strategic locations in the Arctic, Eastern Europe and Central Asia which can help India access to all those areas. For Russia, it would open up access to Indian bases in the IOR thus allowing it an increased operational reach into South Asia as well as the larger Indo Pacific.

Reasons for the Failure to Sign the RELOS Agreement

Several factors have contributed to the failure of India and Russia to finalize the RELOS agreement, despite the mutual benefits it offers.

1. Geopolitical Considerations: The changing geopolitical landscape has influenced the defense strategies of both countries. India’s growing strategic partnership with the United States and other Western countries has raised concerns in Russia. The Indo-US defense cooperation, including logistics agreements, could be perceived by Russia as a shift in India’s strategic orientation.
2. Operational Concerns: Both India and Russia have operational concerns regarding the logistics agreement. For India, the presence of Russian military personnel and equipment at Indian bases could raise security and sovereignty issues. Similarly, Russia may have reservations about the operational implications of Indian forces using Russian bases.
3. Technical and Legal Challenges: Finalizing a RELOS agreement involves addressing technical and legal issues related to logistics support, cost-sharing, and operational procedures. These challenges require detailed negotiations and consensus, which may have been difficult to achieve.
4. Bureaucratic Hurdles: Bureaucratic processes and institutional inertia can also impede the signing of such agreements. Defense bureaucracies in both countries may have differing priorities and risk assessments, leading to delays and complications in the negotiation process.

Strategic Implications of the Failure

The inability to finalize the RELOS agreement has several strategic implications for both India and Russia.

1. Operational Limitations: Without a logistics agreement, the operational reach of Indian and Russian armed forces during joint operations and exercises will be limited. This could affect their ability to conduct sustained operations in distant regions.
2. Strategic Perceptions: The failure to sign the agreement could be perceived as a sign of weakening defense ties between the two countries. This perception could influence the strategic calculations of other regional and global powers.
3. Defense Cooperation: While the overall defense relationship remains strong, the inability to finalize the RELOS agreement highlights the challenges in adapting to changing strategic environments. Both countries will need to address these challenges to strengthen their defense cooperation further.

The Path Forward

Despite the failure to finalize the RELOS agreement, India and Russia continue to engage in defense cooperation and strategic dialogue. Both countries recognize the importance of their defense relationship and are likely to explore other avenues for enhancing military cooperation.

1. Joint Development and Production: India and Russia can continue to focus on joint development and production of defense equipment, building on successful projects like the BrahMos missile.
2. Military Exercises: Regular joint military exercises can enhance interoperability and operational coordination between the armed forces of the two countries.
3. Strategic Dialogue: High-level strategic dialogue between India and Russia can help address geopolitical concerns and align their defense strategies in the changing global security environment.
4. Exploring New Agreements: Both countries can explore other forms of logistics and defense agreements that address their operational and strategic concerns without compromising sovereignty or security.

Conclusion

While the failure to materialize of an RELOS agreement presents as a milestone for India-Russia defense cooperation, it nevertheless underscores the challenges facing contemporary defense diplomacy. The current impasse has been a product of an evolving geopolitical landscape, systemic operational issues, technical complications and bureaucratic barriers. India and Russia need to discuss these challenges through a strategic agreement platform for the future and begin cooperation on bilateral projects which might lead to reorientation of defense relations. This way, they can maintain their historic bonds and solve the security issues of this new century. If you like reading this article then please consider reading our article about Kasha.

About The Author

Kriti Malik