Logistics agreements and their benefits

• India is all set to conclude the bilateral logistics agreement with Russia {the Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement (RELOS)} soon while the agreement with the U.K. is in the final stages of conclusion.

What are logistics agreements?

• The agreements are administrative arrangements facilitating access to military facilities for exchange of fuel and provisions on mutual agreement simplifying logistical support and increasing operational turnaround of the military when operating away from India.
• India has signed several logistics agreements with all Quad countries, France, Singapore and South Korea beginning with the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) with the U.S. in 2016.

Benefits of such logistics agreements:

• The Navy has been the biggest beneficiary of these administrative arrangements, signed with several countries, improving operational turnaround and increasing inter-operability on the high seas.

What is LEMOA?

• It is a tweaked India-specific version of the Logistics Support Agreement (LSA), which the U.S. has with several countries it has close military to military cooperation. It is also one of the three foundational agreements — as referred to by the U.S.
• LEMOA gives access, to both countries, to designated military facilities on either side for the purpose of refuelling and replenishment.