Landmark defence pact BECA to be signed between India, US during 2+2 talks on October 27

India-US are set to sign BECA (Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement) on Geospatial Cooperation on Tuesday which will allow India to access precision data, topographical images, maps, nautical and aeronautical data and other classified satellite data on a real-time basis from US military satellites which will aid in providing better accuracy of stand-off weapons like cruise, ballistic missiles and drones. This pact will be signed during the 2+2 ministerial dialogue between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and US Defence Secretary Mark T Esper at 10 am on October 27.

On Monday, Pompeo and Esper arrived in India for a two-day visit where both sides will discuss key and strategic issues to strengthen defence cooperation and strategic ties including the aggressive military behaviour of China in the Indo-pacific region as well as in eastern Ladakh. 

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BECA 

The Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) is the third and the final 'foundational' agreement that the US has with its close international partners. India-US have already signed two agreements - Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) and Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA), which will allow the countries to exchange military logistics and enable secure communications. 

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2+2 Inter-Ministerial dialogue

During the third round of the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, the officials are expected to cover the full expanse of defence as well as the security ties along with regional and global issues. Earlier the US Secretary of State had indicated that the dialogue will be primarily focused on the “threats” posed by Beijing. This high-level two-day visit by Mike Pompeo and Mark T Esper came at a time when India and China are facing a border standoff and the 2020 US elections is just days away . 

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Ahead of the 2+2 ministerial dialogue, both Indian Ministers held separate talks with their US counterparts on Monday. The Defence minister discussed the potential new areas for cooperation at both Service to Service level and at the joint level. Rajnath Singh and Mark Esper also reportedly called for a defence dialogue mechanism especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic at all levels and also expressed that they are ‘satisfied with BECA’. After the one-hour-long meeting at the South Block in New Delhi, Singh had announced that the talks were “fruitful” and they aimed at “deepening defence cooperation”.

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Reportedly, the special focus of Singh-Esper meet was logistical support and maritime cooperation including majorly naval. Apart from the US delegation led by Esper, the officials that joined the talks were Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane, IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria and Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh. 

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(With inputs from PTI & ANI)