THE US INTEGRATED DETERRENCE APPROACH US

THE US INTEGRATED DETERRENCE APPROACH US

 Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin unveiled "Integrated Deterrence," which serves as the centerpiece of the US National Defense Strategy for 2022.

He described it as an innovative strategy for achieving deterrence. It was designed to avoid military conflict and make use of partners and allies' capabilities to fight back against adversaries. To stop enemies, it uses military and non-military strategies.

Sasha Baker, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, says that integrated deterrence means using all of a nation's tools and those of its allies and partners to fight against war-fighting areas and other conflict areas.

According to Dr. Colin Kahl, "integrate allies and partners that are the actual asymmetric advantage that the United States has over any other competitor or potential adversary" is the primary objective of "integrated deterrence."

“The US has to engage with its allies and partners so that their rivals realize that they’re taking on a coalition of nations that are dedicated to sustain a rule-based international order, they’re taking on more than just the United States,” states that integrated deterrence relies heavily on the alliance system.

The pace of the United States' engagement with India is now accelerating in order to achieve this "integrated deterrence."

The US and India signed a bilateral space situational awareness agreement during the 2+2 ministerial dialogue in April 2022. This will make it easier to share more information and work together in space.

Their partnership for sharing information is growing in all warfighting regions. They demonstrate their willingness to implement new measures of supply chain cooperation that would enable them to support one another's most pressing defense requirements.

The "Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement" between the United States and India was signed in October 2020. It gave India access to US geospatial intelligence-satellite images and analyses.

Drone sales to India, including armed drone sales, have been approved by the US government.

Despite this, the US has been reluctant to provide drones, particularly armed drones, because their officials have included them in the Missile Technology Control Regime.

However, the United States has recently altered its policy to treat drones as aircraft rather than missiles. In addition, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) was established to facilitate relief efforts following the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.

It included Japan, India, Australia, and the United States. It was a casual discussion of naval cooperation between the states. They are currently expanding from the Pacific Ocean to the Indo-Pacific Ocean using this platform.

The conversation shifted toward a strategic partnership as a means of countering China's growing influence in the South China Sea.

After the ASEAN summit, the QUAD member nations resumed group naval exercises. The leaders of the member countries decided to revive the group.

The Indian Ocean became militarized as a result of these nations' participation in naval drills and joint military exercises.

Australia viewed the US's Malabar exercises with QUAD members as a military alliance militarizing the Indian Ocean and maritime trade.

China even complains to these nations that QUAD is taking an anti-China stance, something that QUAD has never acknowledged.

South Asian regional states are confronted with security issues as a result of the QUAD Alliance. In addition, Beijing viewed the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue as anti-China and an "Asian NATO."

"China believes that military cooperation between countries should be conducive to regional peace and stability, rather than contrary to that," the Chinese officials added.

Regional strategic stability has always been hampered by India's presumption of supremacy.

The strategy of giving India the tools it needs to fight China is at the heart of the US-integrated deterrence. This made India's feelings of superiority over the countries in the region even more clear.

The agreements between the US and India show that the US favors India in regional disputes. China and Pakistan asserted that the West's strategy is destabilizing the region, while the United States and India view it as a deterrent against China and Pakistan.

As the two nuclear states wage war in the region, their integrated deterrence strategy is creating a security quandary and increasing threats to the region's strategic stability.

India's plans for nuclear expansion also put Pakistan's nuclear deterrence against India in jeopardy.

Given that a war involving nuclear weapons can never be won, this option should not be considered. The region is experiencing instability as a result of their aggressive military modernization and theatre command.

In addition, India demanded permanent membership in the Security Council and cast a vote against the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) provisions in the United Nations General Assembly. They even indicated that they would participate in a nuclear test program soon.

In 2008, India was also given membership in the NSG, which led to an increase in nuclear power. Concerns about India's aggressive approach to nuclear modernization for arsenal purposes were raised by these developments.

Additionally, Ambassador Ali Sarwar Naqvi expressed concern regarding India's failure to sign the CTBT resolution: India's reason for not supporting the CTBT provisions is that it wants to keep the option of nuclear testing, which would have a negative impact on South Asia's strategic stability.

All of the states in the region want the region to have more strategic and nuclear stability.

On any platform like SAARC or ASEAN, India's presumption of supremacy is a barrier to the region's strategic stability, development, and inclusivity.

As part of an integrated deterrence strategy to combat China's growing influence, the United States views India as a crucial ally.

It has adopted aggressive policies and a confrontational attitude toward the states in the region as a result of its hegemonic plans in the South Asian region and efforts to isolate Pakistan on a global scale.

India retaliated with this strategy because it would isolate India within the region and cause security issues in neighboring states.