Global Security Newswire

Indian officials are considering whether to join an 11-nation effort to intercept illicit WMD shipments, The Hindu reported Monday (see GSN, Sept. 22).

U.S. President George W. Bush last month touted the Proliferation Security Initiative in an address to the U.N. General Assembly. The United States has spearheaded the effort, which is widely believed to have been spurred by fears of the North Korean weapons trade.

“Through our Proliferation Security Initiative, 11 nations are preparing to search planes and ships, trains and trucks carrying suspect cargo, and to seize weapons or missile shipments that raise proliferation concerns,” Bush said.

New Delhi is reportedly concerned, however, over which countries would be the focus of the counterproliferation initiative. Indian officials have often been frustrated by what they see as an international hesitance to address Pakistani weapons proliferation, The Hindu reported (Raja Mohan, The Hindu, Oct. 6).

The largest ever joint exercise between the U.S. and Indian navies is scheduled to end today, the Associated Press reported.

The United States sent two warships, a nuclear-powered submarine and a P3C Orion antisubmarine aircraft while India sent two guided missile frigates, a submarine and a tanker. The Arabian Sea exercise will aid in the global war on terrorism, according to military officials from the two countries.

The effort “helps us in understanding each other’s operating philosophy, especially in the backdrop of the global fight against terrorism,” said Indian South Naval Headquarters spokesman Cmdr. Manohar Nambiar.

The United States is reportedly offering to sell India several Orion aircraft, and the exercise partially focused on antisubmarine tactics, AP reported.

“This exercise is a great opportunity for increasing military cooperation between India and the U.S.,” said Capt. Edward Boorda, commander of the USS Chosin, a guided missile cruiser. “It also helps us to fight the global war against terrorism,” he added (V.M. Thomas, Associated Press/Navy Times, Oct. 7).