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India-US Foundational Defence Agreements

Four "foundational agreements" form the legal and operational backbone of India-US defence cooperation. These agreements, modelled on US arrangements with NATO allies, enable military-grade interoperability and intelligence sharing:

  • GSOMIA (General Security of Military Information Agreement) — 2002: Governs sharing of classified military information.
  • LEMOA (Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement) — 2016: Allows mutual use of military logistics facilities.
  • COMCASA (Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement) — 2018: Enables secure communications between Indian and US military platforms.
  • BECA (Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement) — 2020: Provides geospatial intelligence and advanced navigational data to India.
Key details
  • COMCASA is critical for the P-8I because it allows India to use encrypted US communications systems aboard the aircraft
  • BECA enables real-time geospatial data sharing that enhances the aircraft's targeting accuracy
  • A Security of Supplies Arrangement (SOSA) was also signed in August 2024
In the news

Tracked since February 05, 2026 · last seen August 09, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes

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