Future directions for India-Korea defense cooperation

By Lakhvinder Singh

The defense and security engagements between India and the Republic of Korea (ROK) have grown exponentially over the past few years. In recent years, Indian defense companies have shown great interest in collaboration with the Korean defense industry. Currently, various Indian private sector companies are working closely with Korean defense companies. A prime example of this cooperation has been the 155mm, 52 calibre K9 Vajra, the Indian variant of the K9 Thunder, manufactured by Indian private giant L&T with transfer technology from Hanwha Defense.

To leverage the massive Indian defense market, the South Korean defense industry is actively showcasing its advanced military systems at various Indian defense exhibitions. Among the ongoing projects where Indian entities have approached potential Korean partners are included diesel submarines; LT tanks; utility helicopters; Future Ready Combat Vehicles; and lithium batteries for submarines.

In addition, Indian partners have initiated the discussion in various fields such as all variant ammunition, smart ammunition, small arms manufacturing, and batteries and energy management systems. Apart from these discussions, the transfer of different advanced naval shipbuilding technologies is also being considered by the Korean industry to support various upcoming Indian naval projects, such as Fleet Support Ships (FSS), Landing Platform Docks (LPD) and Mine Countermeasure Vessels (MCMV).

To give a notable boost to the growth of the Korean defense industry in India, the Indian government is providing special incentives to Korean companies in two defense industrial corridors in the country, one in Uttar Pradesh and another in Tamil Nadu. These could offer a unique opportunity for ROK manufacturers, who could "benefit from skilled and economical labor, natural resources and targeted incentives." As part of a defense agreement, India has agreed to relax restrictions on ROK defense firms operating there.

Given the threat both countries face in maritime security from an emerging superpower in the region, it is high time both countries pay more attention to this aspect of cooperation than they have so far. Future areas of cooperation could be joint naval capacity building to meet common future threats. The Information Fusion Center (IFC), established by the Indian Navy in the Indian Ocean region to increase situational awareness in the maritime commons, could be an important area of cooperation between the two navies. Given the lack of situational awareness Korean navies must face while operating in the remote Indian Ocean region to protect its trading shipping lanes, the Indian Navy could be an essential source to increase its Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA).

Despite the vast potential of cooperation, ongoing collaboration has yet to acquire the desired speed. There are serious obstacles in the road slowing this cooperation. These obstacles are more of a gap in procedures, business culture and communication style. The Indian system is still evolving and has not reached its logical conclusion. India has yet to overhaul its investment procedures completely and make them more business-friendly.

On the other hand, Korean companies also have a cultural bias while operating in India. Korean companies need to evolve beyond misconceptions about India if they want to be successful in the Indian market. Korean companies must understand that India has progressed significantly in its ranking in ease of doing business and is suffering much less from bureaucratic and diplomatic lethargy. Korean companies must give up preconceived notions of old India and enter India with a new mindset.

With the new Indo-Pacific Strategy of South Korea, many of the political strains which were stopping this collaboration have gone. India is ready to expand maritime cooperation with the South Korean government beyond the non-traditional security arena. So far, India-Korea defense cooperation has mainly focused on conventional war systems. It is high time they begin focusing on the high-tech war of the future. Co-research, development, and deployment of artificial intelligence and digital technology-enabled weapon systems constitute the urgent need of the hour. Among their cooperation, C4ISR weapons systems need more attention from our policymakers. India and ROK must leverage their mutual strengths in digital applications and other AI-advanced technologies to prepare for the coming war with their common enemy.

Today, a golden opportunity exists between India-Korea's defense cooperation. For the first time, there exists a perfect alignment between two countries at all three levels. First of all, gone are the days of the Moon Jae-in presidency when his heavy tilt toward China stopped this cooperation. With President Yoon Suk-yeol declaring his Indo-Pacific strategy, both countries are perfectly aligned to take defense cooperation to the next level. Second, the Indian defense industry that was inclined toward European and Russian defense industries has started to acknowledge the powers of the fast-growing Korean defense industry. Increasingly, new defense proposals for collaboration are coming from the Indian defense industry for the Korean defense industry.

The Indian defense industry has finally accepted Korea as a partner in preparing for the new age war. Today the Indian and Korean defense industries are perfectly aligned and are ready to take off. The confidence level each has in the other's capabilities has never been as high as it is today. Third, for too long, the Indian military has trusted Russian weapon systems.

Not anymore. Slowly but surely the Indian army has started turning towards Korean weapons systems. Having tested the strengths of recent introductions from Korea, such as the K9, the Indian military is looking towards more high-tech collaborations with Korea. For the first time, the Korean and Indian political leadership, defense industry, and military are perfectly aligned. This situation opens the floodgates of cooperation. Let us rise to the occasion and not let this golden moment of cooperation go.

Gone are the days when India and Korea considered each other as faraway countries and focused only on historical, religious and cultural cooperation. Today India and Korea are heavily engaged in building a new economic and security order in the region. New emerging power configurations have brought them closer like never before. Both have high stakes in the outcome of the ongoing power struggle between the U.S. and China in the region.

Both are the most successful democracies in Asia and have stakes in establishing a new rules-based order. With President Yoon announcing his Indo-Pacific strategy, boundless new opportunities have been created. So far, creating new business opportunities for each country's defense firms has been the main focus of this cooperation. Instead, the time has come that they focus more on creating policy alignment to defend our common democratic way of life.

Let the push begin!

Lakhvinder Singh is the director of peace and security studies at the Asia Institute in Seoul, South Korea.