Introduction

India and Russia have brought into force the Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Support (RELOS) agreement after the completion of legal and procedural requirements. The agreement enables mutual access to designated military facilities for refuelling, repairs, and replenishment, covering operations across the Indo-Pacific and the Arctic. The pact institutionalises military logistics cooperation and provides India with its first structured access to Russia’s Arctic infrastructure.

Why in the news

The RELOS agreement assumes strategic significance as it follows a formal legal ratification, moving beyond ad-hoc logistical arrangements to an institutional framework. It is notable for explicitly referencing Arctic cooperation, a region where India has scientific presence but limited military or logistical reach. The agreement also complements India’s existing logistics pacts with the US, France, Australia, and Japan, while preserving India’s strategic autonomy in a shifting geopolitical environment.

Institutional Architecture of RELOS

1. Reciprocal Logistics Access: Enables mutual use of designated military bases for refuelling, repairs, and replenishment during exercises, training, port calls, and humanitarian missions.
2. Legal Formalisation: Operates under a federal law signed by the Russian President and ratified by India through constitutional procedures.
3. Operational Flexibility: Applies to peacetime operations and non-combat contingencies, including disaster relief and evacuation missions.

Strategic Significance for India

1. Arctic Access: Provides Indian naval vessels access to Russian Arctic ports, including Murmansk, enabling sustained presence in high-latitude regions.
2. Maritime Reach: Enhances Indian Navy and Air Force endurance during long-range deployments across the Indo-Pacific.
3. Equipment Compatibility: Facilitates maintenance support for Russian-origin platforms still forming a significant share of India’s defence inventory.

Russia’s Strategic Calculus

1. Multipolar Signalling: Strengthens Russia’s outreach to non-Western strategic partners amid sanctions-induced isolation.
2. Indo-Pacific Presence: Enables Russia to sustain operations in the Indian Ocean Region through Indian facilities.
3. Institutional Legitimacy: Positions Russia as a cooperative stakeholder in emerging maritime architectures beyond Europe.

Arctic Dimension: From Scientific Presence to Strategic Enablement

1. Logistics Enablement: Supports India’s Arctic research missions through assured access to refuelling and maintenance infrastructure.
2. Commercial Route Security: Indirectly strengthens India’s interest in Arctic shipping routes and commercial connectivity.
3. Geostrategic Entry: Marks India’s first logistics-based strategic foothold in the Arctic through a defence agreement.

Comparison with India’s Logistics Agreements with the US

1. Functional Parity: RELOS mirrors provisions of LEMOA (US), including refuelling, repairs, and port access.
2. Strategic Neutrality: Unlike US agreements, RELOS is tailored to India’s non-alliance posture.
3. Balancing Function: Enables India to deepen Indo-Pacific engagement without exclusive alignment.

Implications for Indo-Pacific Strategy

1. Operational Endurance: Supports extended deployments and joint exercises in the Indian Ocean.
2. Strategic Autonomy: Diversifies India’s logistics partnerships across geopolitical blocs.
3. Force Readiness: Enhances interoperability without treaty obligations.

Way Forward

1. Operationalisation of RELOS: Establish standard operating procedures, cost-settlement mechanisms, and real-time coordination protocols to ensure seamless logistics support during deployments and joint activities.
2. Arctic Capability Integration: Align RELOS access with India’s Arctic research missions to enable dual-use logistics planning without militarising India’s scientific presence.
3. Indo-Pacific Synergy: Integrate RELOS into India’s mission-based deployments to enhance endurance and flexibility of naval and air operations across the Indian Ocean Region.
4. Interoperability Frameworks: Develop technical compatibility and maintenance protocols for Russian-origin platforms to maximise operational efficiency at partner facilities.
5. Strategic Balancing: Maintain parity between logistics agreements with Russia and Western partners to reinforce India’s non-aligned, multi-alignment posture.
6. Institutional Review Mechanism: Periodically assess the agreement’s strategic utility, geographic relevance, and cost-effectiveness in light of evolving regional security dynamics.

Conclusion

The India-Russia Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Support (RELOS) agreement marks a calibrated expansion of India’s defence diplomacy from platform-centric cooperation to infrastructure-enabled strategic access. By institutionalising logistics support across the Indo-Pacific and the Arctic, the agreement enhances India’s operational reach while preserving its strategic autonomy through diversified partnerships. At a time of intensifying great-power competition and contested maritime spaces, RELOS reinforces India’s ability to operate independently, sustain long-duration deployments, and engage multiple geopolitical theatres without entering binding alliances, thereby aligning military preparedness with India’s broader multipolar foreign policy vision.

PYQ Relevance

[UPSC 2020] “What is the significance of Indo-US defence deals over Indo-Russian defence deals? Discuss with reference to stability in the Indo-Pacific region.”

Linkage: The RELOS agreement challenges the binary framing of Indo-US versus Indo-Russia defence ties. It shows continuity and adaptation in India-Russia military cooperation, now extending into the Indo-Pacific and Arctic logistics domain

Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

Attend Now