The US Administration placed India on top of list for selling advanced defence technology. Besides NATO nations and South Korea and Japan the India is the only country from South East Asia to feature in STA-1 list of the US in defence matters.
It eases the export of high tech items to India is sign of must by the US in India’s capabilities as an economic and security partner and boosted the bilateral defence partnership in a big way.
It is sign of trust in relationship, the US Commerce Secretary Wilbon Ross said that US had recognized India as a major defence partners in 2016 and now with this elevation in the STA list allow India to buy more advanced and sensitive technologies from America on par with US closest allies and partners.
The STA status is very important change in India’s status in the export control regime. India will have greater supply chain conditions for defence and other high tech products.
It will make India more integrated with US system and reduces the time and resources need to get licenses approved. Any license sought through a country will move through the process as politically deemed approved. Any authority would now have to actively intervene to stop the approval process would not move without authorized approval at every point.
The US President Mr.Donald Trump relaxed in key condition set by Obama Administration that India would be eligible only after it had secured the membership of all four technology control regime. The China has been repeatedly blocking India’s entry into the Nuclear supplies groups.
In the STA status to India is a great US rebuff to China for blocking India’s entry into the Nuclear suppliers group. Now the NSG member conditions have been relaxed the US can sell any technology of India.
