India and the U.S. are expected to formally sign the long pending Logistics agreement as Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar departed on a four-day visit to the U.S., his second in eight months.
The text of the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA), which allows both sides access to each other’s military facilities for refuelling and replenishment, was finalised during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington in June.
Pending the signing of the deal which officials on both sides described as a “mere formality,” discussions have already begun on the other two foundational agreements — Communications Interoperability and Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA) and Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geo-spatial Cooperation (BECA).
Mr. Parrikar is scheduled to meet U.S. Defence Secretary Ashton Carter on Monday for bilateral talks which will cover the progress of the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI), jet engine technology and sale of Unmanned Aerial vehicles. He will also visit the Boeing manufacturing facility at Philadelphia and later take part in industry interactions organised by the U.S. India Business Council.
