"India-Russia RELOS Logistics Agreement: Scope, Limits, and Strategic Significance"
Logistics Support Agreement (LSA)
Administrative military pact enabling reciprocal use of bases, ports, and airfields for supplies and services.
RELOS
Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement; India's LSA with Russia, valid for five years.
India and Russia share a 'Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership' rooted in the Indo-Soviet Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation (1971). This foundational treaty established the architecture of bilateral ties during the Cold War, covering political, economic, military, and cultural dimensions. Russia has historically been India's largest arms supplier, and the two countries hold annual summit-level engagements. They also coordinate in multilateral forums such as the UN Security Council, BRICS, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
As defence cooperation between nations has grown more complex, foundational administrative agreements have become essential tools of military diplomacy. Logistics Support Agreements (LSAs) are one such instrument. They are not alliance treaties or basing agreements. They are administrative frameworks that allow militaries to use each other's facilities for specific, pre-agreed purposes. India began formalising this category of agreements with the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) signed with the United States in 2016, its first such agreement with any country.
A Logistics Support Agreement (LSA) is a foundational military cooperation agreement. It enables the reciprocal use of each other's bases, ports, and airfields for supplies, repair, fuel, and related services. The agreement specifies the occasions on which this access can be used. These are typically joint exercises, training activities, port calls, and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations. LSAs simplify administrative procedures and reduce bureaucratic delays during time-sensitive military operations.
The LEMOA with the United States was the first such agreement India signed. It provides a framework for reciprocal logistical support for joint exercises, training, and HADR. The Ministry of Defence clarified in Parliament that LEMOA does not provide for the establishment of any bases or basing arrangements. Logistical support under LEMOA covers food, water, billeting, transportation, petroleum, oils, lubricants, clothing, communication services, medical services, storage, spare parts, repair, calibration, and port services. …
Recently, India signed a deal known as 'Action Plan for Prioritization and Implementation of Cooperation Areas in the Nuclear Field' with which of the following countries?
India, is one of the founding members of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a multi-modal transport corridor. This corridor will connect
Consider the following statements regarding India's Logistics Support Agreements (LSAs):
1.India's first LSA was the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA), signed with the United States.
2.LSAs provide for the permanent basing of troops and military assets on each other's territory.
3.India currently has logistics support agreements with nine countries, including Russia and France.
4.LSAs can be invoked for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations.
How many of the above statements are correct?
Match the following Logistics Support Agreements signed by India with the correct partner country and year of signing:
List I (Agreement Name) — List II (Partner / Year)
A.LEMOA — 1. Russia / 2025
B.RELOS — 2. United States / 2016
C.LSA with France — 3. France / signed as part of India's expanding LSA network post-2016
Which of the following matchings is correct?
Consider the following statements regarding the Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement (RELOS) between India and Russia:
1.RELOS stipulates a maximum of 3,000 troops as an upper limit for permanent stationing on each other's territory.
2.RELOS grants India access to Russian military facilities in the Arctic.
3.RELOS is valid for a period of five years.
4.RELOS covers joint military exercises, HADR missions, and port and repair services.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Which of the following best describes the strategic significance of the Arctic access clause in India's RELOS agreement with Russia?
Assertion (A): India's Logistics Support Agreement with Russia (RELOS) does not constitute a military alliance or permit permanent stationing of troops.
Reason (R): All Logistics Support Agreements signed by India, including LEMOA with the United States, follow the same basic template and are limited to administrative support for mutually agreed activities such as exercises, port calls, and HADR operations.
Want the full note, Prelims Facts & MCQ answers?
Create a free account — takes less than a minute.
Create free account