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Thanks, but no thanks, US told
Submitted by Mohit Joshi on Mon, 03/02/2009 - 06:45.

India rejects American offer to train IAF cadets fearing ideological invasion

India has rejected an American offer to train for free half-a-dozen air force (IAF) officer-cadets for a year at the US Air Force Academy.

The decision reflects extreme caution in the higher echelons of the defence ministry about rushing into an all-encompassing military relationship with the US at the cost of India's traditional ties with Russia and Europe and its tender peace with China.

While India is aware of the need to have strong ties and some level of commonality in platforms and doctrines with the US armed forces, New Delhi is "not accepting everything being offered to us", a source in the ministry said. "We won't take up everything offered free."

The Pentagon had offered to take half-a-dozen IAF cadets passing out of the National Defence Academy at Khadakvasla near Pune for the year-long training at the US academy in Colorado. Currently, all IAF cadets leave the NDA and move to the Air Force Academy near Hyderabad for specialised training before being commissioned as officers.

Had the defence ministry accepted the offer, "the six finest officers joining service every year would have had a year-long exposure in the US, alongside USAF cadets", an IAF officer said.

But the government appeared to be worried about a generation of Indian officers being moulded by American military ideology. "Look at what has happened to the Pakistani military," the officer said. "We cannot be stooges."

The defence ministry source admitted the government was concerned about the "long and sustained" exposure young Indian officers would have had in the US.

The Indian military has had training contacts with the US forces. For example, an IAF instructor pilot spends over six months in the US and a USAF pilot almost the same period in India under an instructor training programme.

The Indian Navy has a training programme at the Naval Air Training Command at Kingsville where naval pilots undergo training for carrier-based flying. This programme, which started in 2006, will continue till 2010.

The decision not to allow IAF cadets to train in the US comes at a time when the two sides are struggling to find a solution to an American legislative necessity: That India should sign an End User Verification Agreement for all military systems bought from the US.

The agreement would allow the US to carry out "on-site" physical verification of American systems in India annually to ensure that they have not been sold to a third party or compromised in other ways. India refuses to allow such inspection.

Josy Joseph/ DNA-Daily News & Analysis Source: 3D Syndication