On August 22, 2024, the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Ministry of Defence of the Government of India (IN MoD) entered into a bilateral, non-binding Security of Supply Arrangement (SOSA). The SOSA was signed by Dr. Vic Ramdass, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, on behalf of the United States, and Mr. Samir Kumar Sinha, Additional Secretary and Director General (Acquisitions), on behalf of the IN MoD.
Through this SOSA, the United States and India agree to provide reciprocal priority support for goods and services that promote national defense. The Arrangement will enable both countries to acquire the industrial resources they need from one another to resolve unanticipated supply chain disruptions to meet national security needs.
"This Security of Supply Arrangement represents a pivotal moment in the U.S. – India Major Defense Partner relationship and will be a key factor in strengthening the U.S. – India Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI)," said Dr. Ramdass. "I look forward to OUSD(A&S) hosting the next DTTI meeting this fall to deepen cooperation between our respective defense industrial bases and pursue bilateral co-development, co-production, and co-sustainment initiatives."
In the Arrangement, the U.S. and India commit to support one another's priority delivery requests for procurement of critical national defense resources. The U.S. will provide India assurances under the U.S. Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS), with program determinations by DoD and rating authorization by the Department of Commerce (DOC). India will in turn establish a government-industry Code of Conduct with its industrial base, where Indian firms will voluntarily agree to make every reasonable effort to provide the U.S. priority support.
With an expanding global supply chain for DOD, SOSAs are an important mechanism for DoD to strengthen interoperability with U.S. defense trade partners. The Arrangements institute working groups, establish communication mechanisms, streamline DoD processes, and proactively act to allay anticipated supply chain issues in peacetime, emergency, and armed conflict. They are also a useful tool in developing investment strategies to ensure redundancy and security. India is the eighteenth SOSA partner of the U.S. Other SOSA partners include Australia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
About the Department of Defense's DPA Title I Office:
Within the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy (OASD(IBP)), the Defense Production Act (DPA) Title I, Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization (MCEIP), ODASD(IBR) is the office responsible for securing and maintaining SOSAs with DOD's foreign partners. DPA Title I's efforts are focused on ensuring the timely availability of critical industrial resources to support national defense requirements through the U.S. Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS). DPAS is a self-operating, legally binding U.S. priority system for industrial goods and services, administered by the DOC. In conjunction with DOC and through delegated authorities, DPA Title I oversees the prioritization and allocation of DoD national security contracts and orders rated under DPAS. DPA Title I's efforts support requirements of stakeholders across the U.S. defense industrial base, including those of DoD components and its delegate agencies, foreign partners, and private industry. Through the execution of its mission, the DPA Title I program ensures the nation is prioritizing the production and procurement of critical defense industrial resources it needs in order to meet domestic and foreign partner national security demands in today's ever-evolving threat environment.
