In mid-August, India witnessed one of the most comprehensive multilateral air exercises conducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF), called Tarang Shakti (Phase I). This was the first instance of the German Luftwaffe (German Air Force) flying over Indian skies. Eventually, IAF Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari announced that this would become a biennial event.
Speaking to the press in India, Lieutenant Ingo Gerhartz, Inspector General of the German Luftwaffe, said that Tarang Shakti is not an exercise against any particular country but an exercise between partner nations.
General Gerhartz said, “Taranga Shakti was the fifth attempt for Pacific Skies 24. We have flown almost 1.3 million flight kilometres. In the last two months, we have flown as many flight hours as a German organisation can fly in an entire year.” Pacific Skies 24 is the largest air exercise ever jointly organised by France, Germany and Spain, which have a strong presence in the Indo-Pacific region.
Russia has been India’s favourite country for military and defence partnerships, having been its top supplier for decades. In the last few years, the US and France have increased their defence partnerships with India and have become one of the top three suppliers. Despite being among the top five arms suppliers globally, Germany has no significant presence in terms of supplying to India.
In 2006, the Indian and German defence ministries signed an agreement on deeper security and defence cooperation, which included training of military personnel, increased technology transfer, and cooperation in joint defence projects. During the Indo-German inter-governmental consultations in 2019, the two countries decided to further deepen bilateral defence ties, with Germany working towards facilitating exports of military equipment to India.
Dr Adrian Hack, director of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation’s India office, said, “If you look at the global defence market, Russia was number two, but in the low-price segment, they were very dominant. NATO and Israel’s defence equipment is quite expensive. The only other country that can replace Russia in the low-price segment is China – from an Indian point of view, that is not a good way to go.” Mr Hack was present at Tamil Nadu’s Sulur Air Force Station in August to witness Tarang Shakti Phase 1. According to him, a big part of the exercise was the presence of Gen Gerhartz, who flew the Eurofighter and his relaxed attitude towards everyone else.
“General Gerhartz always wore a pilot’s jacket with a general’s rank insignia on it, not a general’s uniform. It was an informal diplomatic way for the general to show that Germany was his friend,” Mr. Hack said.
Germany-India Defence Partnership
Russia leads the pack in terms of defence equipment imported by India, followed by France, the US, Israel and South Korea. Germany is not even among the top countries and that is where the opportunity lies. However, given the Russia-Ukraine war, Russia’s industrial capacity is focused on making weapons for war.
Mr Hack said, “Germany was a late bloomer in taking India’s defence interests into account. To be honest, Germany has just woken up, while the US and France have much more advanced defence cooperation than Germany.” He said Germany is merely copying the US and French strategy to woo India in the defence sector.
“The strategic picture has completely changed, and there is a debate that Germany is being forced to become a more involved player in the defence and security sector. Given India-Germany relations, India can establish a long-term defence partnership,” said Prof Harsh Pant, vice president for studies and foreign policy at the Observer Research Foundation.
German defence manufacturers are present in India. For instance, ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) signed a MoU in 2023 for local construction of submarines for the Indian Navy. They have not only worked to modernise the Indian submarine fleet but also to develop new technologies for the Indian Navy. INS Shankush But it has also jointly bid for the $4.8 billion Project 75 (India) programme to build diesel submarines. While TKMS will be responsible for the design, engineering and consultancy of the submarines, MDL will manage the construction and delivery to the Indian Navy.
“The submarine cooperation between India and Germany is excellent, giving Germany the opportunity to become a defence partner in a critical, high-tech weapon system. This is a good move and a strong commitment from the German side. From the Indian point of view, it also shows that, on the one hand, they want to become more self-reliant, but at the same time replace their old systems with more advanced ones. They are not buying the cheapest submarines but investing in expensive and advanced systems. For example, this is the case with the Air Force in the case of Rafale,” Mr Hack said.
Technology transfer is a major prerequisite for defence partnerships as India also focuses on manufacturing defence equipment domestically. According to Mr Pant, preconditions for technology transfer may hinder high-end technology transfer, but this is a matter of concern for the future.
“Countries that are more pragmatic in this matter will benefit. For example, the US has changed its response, and they are pushing for more technology transfer. Without technology transfer, the defence partnership with India will be limited. But in the case of Germany, since the defence partnership is just starting to take shape, this should not be such a big issue. It depends on how high the need for technology transfer is,” Mr Pant said.
Experts say India is familiar with Russian and Western defence technologies and platforms.
“If you have multiple Western-based vendors, interoperability is not an issue. It becomes a problem only when we use Russian and Western systems together,” Mr Pant said.
“If you look at Germany, they have the Eurofighter and the Tornado, and the Tornado is being replaced by Lockheed Martin’s F35. At any given time, two fighter jets will be in service. If you look at France, they have the Rafale and the Mirage. But India has many more models. The Indian Army may be a little different in terms of platforms. Still, the Indian Air Force and Navy are very diverse, so if India gets weapons with German/European systems, there should be no problem,” Mr Hack said.
Germany’s interest in the Indo-Pacific region
China’s aggressive policies in the waters of the Indo-Pacific have been a cause of concern for many countries in the region. The German Bundeswehr (armed forces) said: “For example, by building artificial islands in the South China Sea, China has established military bases outside its national territory, provoking conflicts over sea routes, natural resources and fishing rights. This threatens peace in the region and the safety of international shipping and trade routes.” The Indo-Pacific region is home to nine of the world’s ten largest ports.
According to Mr. Hack, although Germany has a clear political position regarding China, it has substantial economic trade with China, which puts Germany in a difficult position.
According to a German government release, “Germany has a great interest in free shipping routes and in maintaining peace and stability in the region. This is why we are now more engaged in security policy.”
“With regard to the Indo-Pacific region, (Germany’s presence in the waters) is a political signal. Since there is no rule of law in open waters, the presence of ships is always a signal that you are willing to enforce the rules,” Mr. Hack said.
Mr Pant believes that Germany’s interest in the Indo-Pacific region is partly due to Europe’s changing worldview and the shift in the balance of power in that region. About 60% of the world’s economic output is generated in the Indo-Pacific region, which can have a direct impact on the economic interests of exporting countries such as Germany.
“After the Russia-Ukraine war and the closer cooperation between Russia and China, it looks like Europe’s behaviour pattern may be repeated in the Asia-Pacific as well. The centre of gravity is shifting towards the Indo-Pacific region, and Europe wants to be a geopolitical actor here. Germany, Europe’s largest economy, will also have to do more heavy lifting,” Mr Pant said.
The German Navy is also expected to sail to the west coast of India with German frigates. Bayern For the joint exercise, which was also held in 2019.
“This approach is important for Germany – to demonstrate their interest in making it clear to China that Germany will play an important role in the Indo-Pacific region. They also aim to create a sense that Germany is keen to increase its regional security presence,” Mr Pant said.
(Nimish Sawant is a freelance journalist based in Berlin)
Published – September 11, 2024 at 06:00 AM IST