The US decision to supply the top-of- the-model F-18 aircraft to India, with a license to manufacture in India, civilian nuclear energy and cooperation in the field of space technology could not have been made on the basis of any military calculations, but for strategic reasons.
I think, the US decision "is a positive development" in the long run, and India "should not be carried away" by the Bush administration's decision to arm Pakistan with F-16s.
Military and strategic relations between the two nations saw an upswing after strained relations following India going nuclear in May 1998. The American sanctions against India at best could have had some salutary impact, but India managed to pull out, owing to its inherent economic strength.
Washington had to ease its own sanctions and repair relations, which began with a visit by the then President Bill Clinton in March 2000 followed by lifting of sanctions on purchases of high- tech military hardware. The decision to lift sanctions on high- tech equipment could have been driven more by compulsions from domestic armament industry and to break into a forte which until now was served by India's cold war ally Russia.
