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Russia Approves Draft Logistics Agreement with India

After years of delay, Russia has approved the draft of a mutual logistics agreement to be signed with India, marking a significant step in military-to-military cooperation between the two nations.

What is RELOS?

The Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement(RELOS)is a long-awaited administrative agreement that would enable the militaries of both the countries(India and Russia) to access logistics and support facilities at each other’s bases and ports.
It would facilitate the replenishment of fuel, rations, spare parts and berthing for troops, warships and aircrafts while operating away from home ports and bases during the war and peacetime missions.
RELOS would further ensure smooth use of the host nation’s existing logistics networkswhich would reduce the overall costs of the mission and provide a strategic edge to each other’s military operations.

Scope of the Agreement

Military Exchanges: Simplifies logistics for exercises, training, and port calls between the two militaries.
Humanitarian Assistance: Facilitates cooperation in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) efforts.
Operational Efficiency: Aims to improve operational turnaround and increase interoperability, especially for the Indian Navy.

Global Context

Similar Agreements: India has signed comparable logistics agreements with several countries, starting with the U.S. in 2016.
Mutual Benefits: These agreements have been advantageous for both parties involved.
Maritime Focus: Indian Navy has been the biggest beneficiary of such administrative arrangements globally.

Significance for India:

India has signed military logistics agreements with several countries in the past. This includes the India–US Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA), India–Japan Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) and India–Australia Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA), demonstrating all the Quad countries.
Apart from this, India maintains such military logistics agreements with France, Singapore and South Korea. It is currently in the process of finalising such an agreement with the UK and Vietnam.

Economic and Geo-Strategic significance:

India’s interests in the Arctic region are increasing and it is keen to make investments particularly in the exploration of Russian oil, gas and other rare earth minerals in the near future.
It is likely that these investments would increase further in future, therefore some kind of strategic security backing is required to safeguard India’s investments in the Arctic.
At present, India does not maintain any port facility or naval base in this region as a whole. An agreement such as RELOS would enable Indian Navy to have greater operational reach in the Arctic.
It would provide logistics and other required facilities to Indian naval ships venturing through the region.
Further, in case of any hostile situation arising in the region, RELOS would enable greater coordination between the Indian and Russian Navy to respond appropriately in the region.
Emerging Shipping Connectivity:
The Arctic sea-ice along the Russian coast is receding drastically. The Northern Sea Route is humming with shipping activity that is significantly increasing annually.
India has openly called for supporting the Russian vision of developing the Northern Sea Route (NSR).
The signing of RELOS between India and Russia, would open India’s access to Russian Arctic naval ports and military bases from Vladivostok to Murmansk and beyond.
India, does not have its own full-fledged base or naval docking or refuelling facility in the Arctic, but through RELOS it would have access to all such facilities in the near future.

Strategic Counterweight:

India has signed logistics agreements with all its partner Quad countries. Though Russia is openly critical of the Quad and has maintained distance from the alliance, RELOS could strategically act as counterweight leverage to both India and Russia in the Indo-Pacific.
The similar lines on which RELOS would enable the Indian Navy’s reach in the Russian Far East and the Arctic region, it would also provide logistics support and easy access of required facilities to the Russian Navy via Indian naval ports and military bases located in the Indian Ocean.
RELOS in a way, without involving Russia in the Quad, would facilitate and strengthen Russian naval presence in the Indo-Pacific to any future hostile scenarios in the region.

Mains Practice Question

Q: "Discuss the significance of the Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement (RELOS) between India and Russia. How does this agreement enhance bilateral defense cooperation and what measures are required for its effective implementation?"

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Russia Approves Draft Logistics Agreement with India

What is RELOS?

Scope of the Agreement

Global Context

Significance for India:

Economic and Geo-Strategic significance:

Strategic Counterweight:

Mains Practice Question

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