{"id":131386,"date":"2024-09-11T19:41:49","date_gmt":"2024-09-11T14:11:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/?post_type=current-affairs&#038;p=131386"},"modified":"2024-09-12T13:36:18","modified_gmt":"2024-09-12T08:06:18","slug":"india-germany-defence-cooperation","status":"publish","type":"current-affairs","link":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/current-affairs\/india-germany-defence-cooperation","title":{"rendered":"Germany Seeks Enhanced Defense Ties with India"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>Germany, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a top arms exporter, has <\/span><b>minimal presence in India&#8217;s defence market, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">but <\/span><b>Russia\u2019s focus on Ukraine<\/b> <b>presents an opportunity to enhance ties<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> amid shifting Indo-Pacific dynamics.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Tarang Shakti: A Landmark Multilateral Air Exercise<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>First Participation of German Luftwaffe: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>German Air Force participated in Indian airspace for the first time<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> during Phase I of Tarang Shakti, hosted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in August.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>&#8220;German Luftwaffe&#8221; <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">refers to the <\/span><b>air force of Germany.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table style=\"width: 99.6975%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle;\">\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt; color: #000000;\"><b>India&#8217;s Defence Partnerships<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>India&#8217;s Top Defense Suppliers: Russia, France, the U.S., Israel, and South Korea.\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Russia&#8217;s Dominance: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Historically, Russia has been India&#8217;s top defence supplier.<\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Russia used to be the second-largest defence supplier globally, particularly strong in the low-cost segment.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>NATO and Israeli Equipment<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Defense equipment from NATO and Israel is typically more expensive, limiting their role in the low-cost market.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Rising Influence of France and the U.S: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">France and the U.S. have expanded their defence cooperation with India in recent years.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>China&#8217;s Limited Appeal as a Defence Supplier<\/b><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Potential Replacement for Russia<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: <\/span><b>China is the only country that could replace Russia in the low-cost defence segment.<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Indian Perspective<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: For India, turning to China as a defence supplier is <\/span><b>not a desirable option.<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Biennial Exercise Announcement:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It was announced that <\/span><b>Tarang Shakti will become a biennial event.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Significance of Tarang Shakti: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tarang Shakti served as preparation for <\/span><b>Pacific Skies 24<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Pacific Skies 24<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is the<\/span><b> largest joint air exercise by France, Germany, and Spain in the Indo-Pacific.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>German Air Force&#8217;s Perspective on Tarang Shakti<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Non-Aggression Stance: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was emphasised that the <\/span><b>exercise was not targeted against any particular nation <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">but aimed at strengthening partnerships.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Operational Scale:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The Luftwaffe flew <\/span><b>1.3 million kilometres<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> during Tarang Shakti, <\/span><b>comparable to an entire year&#8217;s flight hours for one German organisation.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Enroll now for UPSC Online Course<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>India-Germany Defence Cooperation<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Nascent Stage:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Despite being among the top global arms exporters,<\/span><b> Germany\u2019s defence relationship with India is relatively nascent<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, but it sees <\/span><b>growing opportunities, especially due to the Russia-Ukraine war.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>2006 Defence Agreement:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The <\/span><b>Indo-German agreement on security and defence cooperation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, signed in <\/span><b>2006<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, aimed at t<\/span><b>raining, technology transfer, and joint defence projects.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>ThyssenKrupp-MDL Partnership:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In <\/span><b>2023<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd. (MDL)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> signed an MoU for<\/span><b> local submarine construction for the Indian Navy, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">highlighting deepening ties.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They have worked for the modernisation of the Indian submarine INS Shankush and have also jointly bid for the $4.8 billion <\/span><b>Project 75 (India) <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">programme <\/span><b>for the construction of diesel submarines.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While <\/span><b>TKMS would be responsible for the submarine design, engineering, and consultancy<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>MDL would manage the construction and delivery to the Indian Navy.\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Key Issues Involved<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Technology Transfer: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Technology transfer is one of the major pre-conditions for defence partnerships as India also focuses on manufacturing defence equipment domestically.\u00a0 <\/span><b>While technology transfer is crucial, it could limit high-end technology exchange.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Interoperability Challenges: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India <\/span><b>operates a mix of Russian and Western defence platforms, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">which poses <\/span><b>integration challenges <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">but also<\/span><b> offers flexibility in collaborations with European partners like Germany.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Reasons for Germany\u2019s Interest in the Indo-Pacific region<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Strategic Importance of Indo-Pacific: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The region hosts <\/span><b>nine of the world\u2019s ten largest ports, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">making it crucial for international trade and security.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Germany\u2019s involvement in Indo-Pacific security is driven by its<\/span><b> interest in preserving free and stable shipping routes.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Chinese Aggression:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> China&#8217;s <\/span><b>construction of artificial islands <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and <\/span><b>establishment of military bases in the South China Sea<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> threatens regional peace and disrupts sea routes, resources, and fishing rights.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Economic Ties with China: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite political concerns, <\/span><b>Germany&#8217;s substantial trade with China complicates its stance on regional security.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Germany&#8217;s Military Presence as a Political Signal: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Germany&#8217;s military presence in the Indo-Pacific <\/span><b>signifies its commitment to enforcing international rules,<\/b> <b>even in unregulated waters.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Post-Russia-Ukraine War Shift: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>Russia-Ukraine war and closer Russia-China ties are prompting Europe, including Germany,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to shift focus toward the Indo-Pacific as a key geopolitical area.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Economic Stakes: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With 60% of global economic output coming from the region, <\/span><b>Germany\u2019s export-driven economy is directly impacted.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+CSE+Books\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check Out UPSC CSE Books From PW Store<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Way Forward<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite facing global challenges,<\/span><b> Germany\u2019s evolving foreign policy now places significant emphasis on a robust partnership with India.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This strategic alignment has the potential to not only enhance bilateral relations but also strengthen the European Union&#8217;s broader engagement with India.<\/span><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100.201%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle;\">\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt; color: #000000;\"><b>Collaborations and Shared Goals between India and Germany<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Support for UNSC Expansion: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India and Germany, along with Japan and Brazil, <\/span><b>are jointly advocating for UNSC reforms <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and permanent membership under the G-4 framework.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>CDRI Membership: Germany became a member of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) in 2020, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">reflecting its commitment to enhancing global infrastructure resilience.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>International Solar Alliance: Germany is an active member of the International Solar Alliance (ISA),<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> an initiative launched by India to promote solar energy and sustainable development.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Aligned Indo-Pacific Strategies: Germany\u2019s Indo-Pacific strategy aligns closely with India\u2019s approach,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> indicating a shared vision for regional stability and cooperation.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.9263%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 137.809%; 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