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U.S. Arms Sales to India

US-India
Since ending sanctions against India in 2001, the United States has sought increased defense cooperation with and arms sales to India. U.S. arms sales to India have come under greater scrutiny as India's treatment of its Muslim citizens and democratic backsliding raise human rights concerns while India's purchase of S-400 missile defense systems from Russia raises the specter of new U.S sanctions on Narendra Modi's government under CAATSA (Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act).

In 2021, the Biden administration notified Congress of just over than $2.5 billion in potential arms sales to India.


According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India was the world’s largest importer of foreign arms in 2021. From 2017-2021, SIPRI listed India as the first largest global importer, accounting for 11% of global major conventional weapons imports. Russia is the top seller of arms to India, providing 46% of arms deliveries to India, a 47% decrease from the previous five-year period. France and the United States provided the second and third most weapons to India from 2017-2021. The United States, India's second-largest arms supplier from 2012–2016, delivered roughly 27% less weapons to New Delhi in 2017–2021.

Experts to contact: Jeff Abramson
(
Inclusion on the Forum on the Arms Trade expert list does not indicate agreement with or endorsement of the opinions of others. Institutional affiliation is indicated for identification purposes only. Please contact experts directly for further comments.)


Select Timeline (see official arms sales notifications in the "Government" section further below)

2022

On April 26, Senate Foreign Relations chair Sen. Bob Menendez said " we need clarity on whether the Administration will waive CAATSA sanctions for India’s purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system..."

2021

On November 15, Russian news outlet TASS reported that Russia had begun delivering S-400 systems to India ahead of schedule. Alexander Mikheyev, Director General of the Russian arms export agency Rosoboronexport, said that "the Indian specialists who will operate the first regiment set have completed their training and returned home" and that "all the materiel of the first regiment set will be delivered to India at the end of 2021."

On October 6, 2021, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman conveyed the Biden administration's frustration with India's pending S-400 purchase to reporters from
The Hindu. Sherman called the purchase "dangerous and not in anybody's security interest," but insisted that India and the U.S. still had "a strong partnership" regardless. While it did not appear that the Biden administration would apply CAATSA sanctions on India, on October 26, U.S. Senators and India Caucus Co-Chairs Mark Warner (D, VA) and John Cornyn (R, TX) sent a letter to President Biden encouraging him to waive such sanctions. On October 29, Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX.), Todd Young (R-IN.), and Roger Marshall (R-KS.) introduced the CRUCIAL Act, which, would shield India, Japan, and Australia as members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue from CAATSA sanctions.

On August 2, 2021, the Biden administration notified Congress of the potential sale of one Harpoon Joint Common Test Set (JCTS) for $82 million. On April 30, 2021, the Biden administration notified Congress of the potential sale of six (6) P-8I Patrol aircraft and related equipment for an estimated cost of $2.42 billion.

In March, Senate Foreign Relations chair Bob Menendez (D, NJ) expressed concern about possible Russian S-400 missile purchases by India.


2020

On Feb. 25, 2020, during a visit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, U.S. President Donald Trump announced $3 billion in arms agreements, saying they “will enhance our joint defense capabilities as our militaries continue to train and operate side by side.” The Trump administration notified Congress of nearly $7.9 billion in potential Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to New Delhi (2017-2020), including more than $150 million for missiles and torpedoes notified to Congress in April 2020. 

Some members of Congress raised concerns about India’s actions in Kashmir and its treatment of Muslims. Senator Bernie Sanders (I, VT) criticized sales to the country in a tweet on February 24. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D, NY) tweeted on March 2, “President Trump is engaging in arms deals with Modi while his administration is ethnically cleansing the country’s religious minorities. We must not enable this rise in sectarian violence.”  In 2019, Representative Pramila Jayapal (D, WA-07),  introduced legislation calling on India to remove restrictions on communications in Jammu and Kashmir, and to preserve religious freedom throughout the country. In 2020 (and 2021 and 2022), the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom recommended listing India as a Country of Particular Concern.

In a July factsheet, the State Department indicated that it "is committed to further streamlining U.S.-India defense sales." Credible reporting indicated that U.S. changed its interpretation of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) to make drone exports easier with possible sales to India in mind. The factsheet notes that India was the first country outside the MTCR to have been offered such weapons, an anachronistic statement given that the sale had not yet occurred at the time of the factsheet's publication.

2019

Cross-border skirmishes between India and Pakistan involving weapons from a variety of countries, including the United States, drew international attention to the impact of the arms trade on the multi-decade India-Pakistan rivalry. In August, Moid's government escalated the conflict by revoking Kashmir's autonomous status, deploying military forces, and imposing an internet and phone service blackout in the territory.

2018

On May 30, Secretary of Defense James Mattis announced that U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM) would be re-named U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) in recognition of "the increasing connectivity of the Indian and Pacific Oceans." The decision marks a shift in U.S. strategic thinking towards the "broader Asia" concept laid out by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in his 2007 speech "Confluence of the Two Seas."

2017

After eight years of inactivity, senior officials from the U.S., Japan, India, and Australia met in Manila to hold talks that would lead to the revival of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (the Quad), a military cooperation initiative formed in 2009 to counter Chinese influence in the Pacific.

2016

In the annual NDAA, India is designated a "Major Defense Partner," a status held exclusively by India. The designation expedites arms sales to India via two changes to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR): the first change established "a presumption of approval for export licensing" for India, while the second authorized India as a Verified End User (VEU) for "commercial and military exports."

Foreign Military Sales (FMS) notifications *
  • Biden administration:
    • 2021
      • August: Harpoon Joint Common Test Set (JCTS) ($82 million)
      • April: P-8I and associated support ($2.42 billion)
  • Trump administration:
    • ​2020
      • April: Harpoon missiles ($92 million); 16 x lightweight torpedoes ($63 million)
      • February: air defense systems including radar systems and hundreds of missiles + 32 M4A1 rifles + 40,320 M855 5.56mm cartridges ($1.867 billion)
    • 2019
      • November: MK 45 5" naval guns + projectiles ($1.021 billion); C-17 support ($670 million)
      • April: MH-60R helicopters + associated equipment ($2.6 billion)
      • February: large aircraft self-protection suites ($190 million) 
    • 2018
      • June: 6 x Apache AH-64E helicopters + associated missiles, engines, and other equipment ($930 million - Direct Commerical Sale)
    • 2017
      • June: C-17 transport aircraft ($366.2 million)
      • May: CBRN support ($75 million)  
* because data on direct commercial sales (DCS) is less readily available, it is not included here; for more on DCS sales to India, see the Security Assistance Monitor arms sales database.

Select Resources

White House & Executive Branch
  • Defense Security and Cooperation Agency (DSCA) India list
  • "Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act - Sanctions Programs and Country Information," Department of the Treasury.
  • "The United States and India - Global Leadership in Action," White House, September 24, 2021.
  • "Quad Leaders' Joint Statement: 'The Spirit of the Quad," White House, March 12, 2021.
  • "Section 231 of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act of 2017," Department of State, last updated March 3, 2021.
  • "U.S. Security Cooperation With India," Department of State, Fact Sheet, January 20, 2021.
  • "Remarks to Members of the Press With Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India in New Delhi, India," White House, February 25, 2020.
  • ​"Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2020," State Department, March 30, 2020.
  • "Annual Report 2020," United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, April 2020.
  • "Annual Report 2021," United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, April 2021.
  • "Annual Report 2022," United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, April 2022.
  • World Military Expenditures and Arms Transfers annual reports (2017, 2018, & 2019), Department of State.
  • "Joint Report to Congress: Enhancing Defense and Security Cooperation with India," Department of Defense & Department of State, July 2017.
  • "Remarks by President Trump and Prime Minister Modi in Joint Press Statement," White House, June 26, 2017
  • "Fact Sheet: U.S.-India Defense Cooperation," Obama White House.
  • "Joint Statement Between President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh," White House, July 18, 2005.

​Congress 
  • U.S.-India Arms Sales & Defense Cooperation
    • "Cornyn, Warner Urge Biden Administration to Waive CAATSA Sanctions Against India," October 26, 2021.
    • "Menendez Urges Secretary Austin to Use Upcoming Trip to India to Discuss Democracy, Human Rights and Opposition to S-400 Missile System," March 17, 2021.
    • Sen. ​Bernie Sanders (I, VT) via Twitter, February 24, 2020.
    • Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D, NY-14) via Twitter, March 2, 2020.
  • Human Rights in Modi's India
    • H.Res.745 - Urging the Republic of India to end the restrictions on communications and mass detentions in Jammu and Kashmir as swiftly as possible and preserve religious freedom for all residents; sponsored by Pramila Jayapal (D, WA-07) on December 6, 2019
      • See also: "Jayapal Celebrates Kashmiri Dr. Mubeen Shah's Permanent Release, Calls on India to End All Arbitrary Detentions," December 9, 2019.
    • "Human Rights in South Asia: Views from the State Department and the Region," Hearing before House Committee on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and Nonproliferation, October 22, 2019

Civil Society and Forum Resource Pages​
  • "The Quad in the Indo-Pacific: What to Know," Council on Foreign Relations, May 27, 2021.
  • "USA-India strategic continuity in the Biden administration transition," SIPRI, January 29, 2021.
  • "Trends in International Arms Transfers, 2020," SIPRI, March 2021.
  • "Defining the Diamond: The Past, Present, and Future of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue," CSIS, March 16, 2020.
  • Arms Sales Database, Security Assistance Monitor
  • Notification Tracker and spreadsheet - Major arms sales notifications to the U.S. Congress via the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.

Select Media Articles
  • U.S.-India Arms Sales & Defense Cooperation
    • "Why India's arms deals with Russia are about to become a headache for Biden," POLITICO, September 30, 2021.
    • "Biden needs India to counter China, but it comes with a cost," POLITICO, September 23, 2021.
    • "Pompeo Touts U.S.-India Defense Deal, With an Eye on China," Wall Street Journal, October 27, 2020.
    • "In Wake of Recent India-China Conflict, U.S. Sees Opportunity," New York Times, October 3, 2020.
    • "Trump Looks to Arms Sales to Deepen Ties With India," Foreign Policy, August 4, 2020.
    • "More U.S.-India Arms Sales Could Follow $3.5 Billion Helicopter Deal," Forbes, February 26, 2020.
    • "In symbolic nod to India, U.S. Pacific Command changes name," Reuters, May 30, 2018.
    • "The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of the 'Quad'," War on the Rocks, November 16, 2017.
  • Human Rights in Modi's India
    • "Amid Flames and Gunfire, They Were Evicted From Where They Called Home," New York Times, October 17, 2021.
    • "Technofascism in India," n+1, May 13, 2020.
    • "India receives harshest rating from U.S. government watchdog in religious freedom report," Washington Post, April 28, 2020. 
    • "Kashmir, Under Siege and Lockdown, Faces a Mental Health Crisis," New York Times, April 26, 2020.
    • "India Lobbies to Stifle Criticism, Control Messaging in U.S. Congress Amid Rising Anti-Muslim Violence," The Intercept, March 16, 2020.
    • "US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez On Delhi Violence: 'Modi Ethnically Cleansing Religious Minorities," Huffington Post, March 3, 2020.
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