U.S. notifies potential sale of IPDMA-related equipment worth $131 million to India

Quad's IPMDA progresses with U.S. approval for $131M sale to India, enhancing maritime security in Indo-Pacific.

In an indication that the ambitious initiative of Quad grouping for the region — the Indo-Pacific maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) — is making progress, the U.S. Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) issued a notification stating that U.S. State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to India of IPMDA and related equipment for an estimated cost of $131 million.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on April 30, the notification said. “The Government of India has requested to buy SeaVision software (including requested software enhancements); Technical Assistance Field Team (TAFT) training; remote software and analytic support; access to SeaVision documentation; and other related elements of logistics and program support.”

The IPMDA was announced by the Quad grouping, comprising of India, Australia, Japan and U.S., at the Tokyo summit in May 2022 to track “dark shipping” and build a “faster, wider, and more accurate maritime picture of near-real-time activities in partners’ waters” integrating three critical regions in the Indo-Pacific — the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia, and Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the U.S. by helping to strengthen the U.S.-Indian strategic relationship and to improve the security of a major defence partner, which continues to be an “important force” for political stability, peace, and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific and South Asia regions, the DSCA noted. “The proposed sale will improve India’s capability to meet current and future threats by bolstering its maritime domain awareness, analytical capabilities, and strategic posture. India will have no difficulty absorbing these articles and services into its armed forces.”

The principal contractor will be Hawkeye 360, located in Herndon, Virginia. The notification stated that at the moment, it wasn’t aware of any offset agreement in the potential sale. Any offset agreement will be defined in negotiations between the purchaser and the contractor, it added. The description and dollar value are for the highest estimated quantity, and the actual dollar value will be lower depending on final requirements and so on.

In the last two years, the IPMDA was taken up on a pilot scale in a country in the grouping, testing it in their surrounding areas. It is set for a full-scale launch very soon, officials said.

The IPMDA seeks to establish a comprehensive system for monitoring and securing maritime activities in the Indo-Pacific, ensuring the safety of critical sea lines of communication, and promoting cooperation among like-minded nations in the region, Indian Navy Chief Adm R. Hari Kumar told The Hindu in November 2023.