US approves $131m military sale to India for maritime domain awareness

WASHINGTON: The United States (US) State Department announced the approval of a potential Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to India, focusing on the Indo-Pacific maritime domain awareness and related equipment, with an estimated cost of $131 million.

The decision was communicated to Congress by the Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), which delivered the necessary certification for the proposed sale.

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India had reportedly formally requested the US a range of items as part of the military sale, including SeaVision software, which encompasses requested software enhancements, Technical Assistance Field Team (TAFT) training, remote software and analytical support, and access to the SeaVision documentation.

The components are apparently designed to improve India’s maritime capabilities, enabling it to better monitor and respond to ‘threats’ to its maritime domain, though from whom, no one knows.

The proposed sale is significant, as it reportedly aligns with the foreign policy and national security objectives of the US, particularly in strengthening relationship between India and the US.

The US has strengthened relations with India in recent years to counter the growing influence of China, further isolating and backing Pakistan’s significance with the US into a corner.

As per official US sources, the sale is expected to improve Indian capabilities to address current and future maritime ‘threats’ by refining its domain aware and analytical capabilities. These improvements will allow India to adopt a more ‘strategic posture’ for its perceived security threats.

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The main contractor for the sale will be Hawkeye 360, a company known for its expertise in satellite-based data analytics and maritime domain awareness solutions.