The growing China-North Korea nexus has made United States of America to refocus its strategic alliance with India to cover Pacific region. The Pacific shift is a major change in Obama’s strategic policy. India stands to gain and would gain some relief with the heightened US presence in the region vis-à-vis Chinese enlarging presence. The coming together of India and US “in principle” agreement to a logistics exchange enabling both militaries to use each other’s assets and bases for repair and replenishment of supplies too is what US has been eyeing for a long time. The previous UPA government did not find favour with such swapping of facilities. Ramping up bilateral defence ties, both sides also agreed to set up a new bilateral Maritime Security Dialogue between officials from their respective Defence and Foreign Affairs Ministries. This came as India and the US emphasised on freedom of navigation and need for international based order, in an apparent reference to China’s assertiveness in South China Sea. India sitting on the most ferried maritime route with global trade moving in this sector the presence of US Navy would augment the security thus making the Indian Ocean-Pacific route safe for trade. The Indo-Asia Pacific region is 1,24,000 sq km. And the US presence will be having a total of 40,000 personnel, including marines, of which 20,000 will be sailors. In November 2011, Obama had announced that US presence in the Asia-Pacific will be his top priority. The first such an beefed up presence was during the India-Pakistan war in 1971 when the Seventh Fleet of US Navy was shifted to Bay of Bengal as deterrent to stop India from its march in Western Sector. At that time to counter such a threat then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi signed a twenty-years pact with then Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) which also made the Russian naval armada move into Indian Ocean region raising temperature in the region. Today things stand changed and America sees India as a strategic partner in view of growing stature of the country among the world community.
