BECA Agreement

“The Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement of Geo-spatial Cooperation” (BECA) were signed between the US and India to start military cooperation between the countries.

“International relations” plays an instrumental role in creating a sustainable relationship between two of the world’s most powerful countries. BECA agreements have played an instrumental role in creating sustainable and long-lasting military cooperation for India and The US. Prior to the BECA agreement, several other agreements were signed as well to pave the way for the “BECA agreement”. The BECA agreement has been signed by the two governments to increase the information sharing process associated with geospatial information. The governments are hoping that by combining the data available with both countries regarding the aeronautical activities, improved results can be achieved. 

Process of the signing of the agreements

Prior to the signing of the BECA agreements, two other agreements were signed between India and the US. The LEMOA and the COMCASA agreements were signed prior to signing the BECA agreements. Both governments are hoping that a combination of military agreements will be essential for maintaining peace. The agreements were signed in two plus two methods. The two plus two methods are described as the process of signing an agreement where two ministers from both countries will be involved in signing an agreement. The Indian foreign and defence ministers were present with the US state secretary and the secretary of Defence to sign the BECA agreements on October 27, 2020.

Important factors of the BECA agreement

  • Information and data sharing has become an integral part of today’s technology-driven world. The BECA agreement will gather information across several satellites to provide accurate positioning of assets. Changes in navigation processes associated with highly accurate satellite data are the primary concern associated with BECA agreements.

For example, if government officials are looking to identify military assets within a particular area, BECA agreements will enable the Indian and US governments to share information with each other to locate that particular military asset using Geospatial data.

  • Transfer for both military and commercial data is another important factor associated with “BECA agreements”. Governments can use the data to make changes to the commercial navigation system. Implementation of BECA agreement data in commercial usage will help Indian governments to implement a highly effective traffic system across multiple parts of the country.
  • The type of data that will be shared across the countries due to the BECA agreements are
  1. Maps
  2. Nautical data
  3. Geophysical data 
  4. Gravitational data
  5. Geodetic
  6. Commercial imagery
  • The format of data that will be shared between two countries due to the agreements can be shared across the digital or printed format.
  • There are clauses within the agreements that restrict both governments to share data across an interested third party

Advantages associated with this agreement

BECA agreements have been tackled across the Indian government over the last couple of decades. The “BECA agreement” provides the following advantages for both countries

  • Data Accuracy is a massive advantage associated with the BECA agreement. Due to the usage of satellite image processes, the accuracy of collected data will be extremely high for both governments. Conducting highly covert military operations can be conducted efficiently by using geospatial images.
  • Due to the implementation of geospatial images, the disaster management processes associated with both countries can be improved. Efficient planning can be done to minimise the collateral damage
  • Sharing highly classified information will help improve the international relations associated with both countries. Both governments can work together to deal with the threats of international relations.
  • The third-party involvements rule within the agreements will help the governments to implement protective measures in an efficient procedure. 

Conclusion 

It can be concluded that this assessment has been developed to provide an overview associated with the BECA agreement that was signed between the US and India on 27th October 2020. A BECA agreement has been developed for providing information on geospatial activities using highly accurate satellite imagery. Improvements in military activities will be improved after the implementation of the agreement processes. The BECA agreement was the third agreement of a series of military operations across the US and India. The BECA agreement has not involved the provision of sharing information across the third party.

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Frequently asked questions

Get answers to the most common queries related to the Karnataka PSC Examination Preparation.

What is the full form of the BECA agreement?

Ans : The full form of the BECA agreement is “Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement”...Read full

What are the kinds of information that will be shared using the BECA agreement?

Ans : Several types of data will be shared using the BECA agreement. Following are some types of da...Read full

When and where BECA Agreement was signed?

Ans : The BECA agreement was signed on 27th October 2020. The Indian defence and foreign minister s...Read full

What are the areas that will be improved after the “BECA agreement”?

Ans : Military navigation will be the most affected area associated with the BECA agreement. Both g...Read full