In an era marked by geopolitical rivalry, shifting alignments, and persistent conflict, logistics has emerged as a decisive element of military power. India’s operationalisation of the Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement (RELOS) with Russia in January 2026 marks a significant step towards strengthening its strategic autonomy.
Signed in February 2025 and activated after Russian parliamentary approval in December 2025, RELOS allows both nations to deploy up to 3,000 troops, five warships, and ten aircraft in each other’s territory for exercises, training, humanitarian assistance, and logistics support.
RELOS and LEMOA, signed in August 2016 and February 2025, exemplify India’s strategic approach of multi-alignment, balancing long-standing ties with Russia and expanding operational cooperation with the United States amid conflicts from Ukraine to the Indo-Pacific, thereby highlighting their strategic importance.
Rather than forming alliances, India is building a network of logistics partnerships, emphasising its strategic autonomy and inspiring confidence in its independent approach.
Understanding RELOS and LEMOA
RELOS, effective from 12 January 2026, provides reciprocal access to ports, airfields, and military facilities. It covers refuelling, maintenance, repairs, food supply, air traffic support, and security services. The agreement runs for five years and is extendable, while explicitly ruling out permanent basing.
For India, this arrangement addresses a structural reality: nearly 60 per cent of its military inventory remains of Russian origin, including fighter aircraft, submarines, and missile systems. Western sanctions on Russia have disrupted supply chains, making assured access to logistics essential to maintaining operational readiness.
LEMOA, signed in August 2016, operates on a similar principle. It enables Indian and United States forces to use each other’s facilities on a reimbursable, case-by-case basis. The agreement supports joint exercises such as Exercise Malabar, enhances naval endurance, and enables rapid response during humanitarian crises.
Both agreements deliberately avoid alliance commitments. Activities remain temporary, mutually approved, and mission-specific, preserving India’s tradition of strategic independence.
Core Similarities and Structural Differences
Functionally, RELOS and LEMOA serve the same purpose: enhancing operational flexibility, reducing deployment delays, and fostering resilience and preparedness.
However, their structures differ in important ways.
RELOS introduces fixed operational ceilings of 3,000 personnel, five warships, and ten aircraft, ensuring predictability and political reassurance. Payments are managed through deferred government settlements to accommodate flexible financial environments.
LEMOA, by contrast, operates without fixed deployment limits. Activities are approved individually, and payments are processed through standard financial channels. This flexibility reflects the United States’ extensive global logistics network and its emphasis on operational adaptability.
Geographically, the agreements also diverge in focus. RELOS opens access to Russian Arctic and northern bases, presenting new opportunities for strategic positioning and maritime domain awareness.
Strategic Comparison in a Fragmented Global Environment
The global security environment remains unsettled. The Russia–Ukraine war continues to shape geopolitical alignments, tensions persist in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, and instability across the Middle East threatens vital shipping routes.
In this context, India’s dual logistics strategy provides resilience.
RELOS strengthens sustainment for Russian-origin systems, including the S-400 Triumf air defence system and the Su-30MKI fighter aircraft, which remain central to India’s deterrence posture along the China and Pakistan frontiers. Continued access to Russian logistics networks reduces dependence on vulnerable commercial supply chains.
LEMOA, supported by agreements such as the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) and the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA), enhances India’s access to secure communications, geospatial intelligence, and interoperability with United States forces. These capabilities strengthen cooperation within the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD), which includes India, the United States, Japan, and Australia.
Together, the two agreements allow India to operate across multiple theatres without formal alliance commitments.
The Arctic Dimension: RELOS as a Strategic Multiplier
One of RELOS’s most significant outcomes is its Arctic dimension, which provides India with access to Russian northern bases such as Murmansk and Severomorsk. These bases support refuelling, maintenance, and staging operations along the Northern Sea Route (NSR), thereby expanding India’s strategic footprint in the Arctic.
Access to these bases provides India with entry into the emerging Arctic maritime domain. These facilities support refuelling, maintenance, and staging operations for vessels operating along the NSR.
The NSR reduces transit time between Asia and Europe by up to 40 per cent compared with traditional routes through the Suez Canal. For India, this presents both economic and strategic advantages. Escort missions, logistics replenishment, and maritime surveillance operations become feasible in previously inaccessible regions.
The Arctic also carries geopolitical weight. Melting ice is opening new shipping lanes, while Russia and China are expanding infrastructure and maritime presence. China’s Polar Silk Road initiative highlights growing competition in the region.
RELOS enables India to maintain a presence in this evolving theatre without committing to permanent bases. It also strengthens India’s 2022 Arctic Policy, which emphasises scientific research, maritime cooperation, and resource security.
Energy Security and Economic Implications
Energy security remains a central driver of India’s logistics partnerships.
India is the world’s third-largest crude oil importer, and disruptions along traditional maritime routes pose serious economic risks. Access to Arctic shipping lanes and Russian infrastructure supports the reliable delivery of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and crude supplies.
Projects such as Yamal LNG and partnerships between Indian public-sector firms and Russia’s energy sector demonstrate the economic dimension of logistics cooperation. Reliable Arctic logistics reduces transport costs, diversifies supply routes, and limits exposure to chokepoint disruptions, such as those at the Strait of Hormuz or Bab el-Mandeb.
RELOS also strengthens Russia’s ability to sustain trade despite sanctions. India’s neutral diplomatic posture and willingness to continue energy cooperation make it a valuable economic partner.
This relationship remains transactional rather than ideological. India gains supply security, while Russia secures a stable market and logistics partner.
Implications for Military Reach and Deterrence
India’s defence strategy depends on maintaining operational flexibility across multiple theatres. The combination of RELOS and LEMOA significantly expands India’s logistical reach.
RELOS ensures sustainment for heavy platforms, tanks, submarines, missile systems, and aircraft sourced from Russia. These assets remain critical to maintaining credible deterrence along contested borders.
LEMOA supports advanced capabilities through closer cooperation with the United States. Access to forward logistics hubs enhances naval endurance across the Indo-Pacific and strengthens maritime domain awareness against the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).
Together, these agreements enable Indian forces to operate from the Red Sea to the Western Pacific without establishing permanent overseas bases. This approach preserves sovereignty while extending operational reach.
At the same time, improved logistics reduce operational costs, freeing resources for domestic defence manufacturing under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, which aims to increase indigenous production to approximately 70 percent in the coming years.
Risks and Strategic Constraints
Despite clear advantages, India’s dual logistics strategy carries risks.
Financial transactions tied to Russian logistics remain vulnerable to sanctions under legislation such as the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). Although India has previously secured waivers, future geopolitical shifts could alter this position.
Technical compatibility also poses challenges. Russian-origin systems often use different standards from Western equipment, creating interoperability gaps during joint operations.
Diplomatic sensitivities are also at play. Close cooperation with Russia may generate unease in Washington, while expanding ties with the United States could raise concerns in Moscow. Managing these relationships requires consistent diplomatic balance.
Operational success will depend on maintaining neutrality while sustaining trust across both partnerships.
Ramifications of Operation EPIC FURY for India’s RELOS–LEMOA Calculus
The unfolding consequences of Operation EPIC FURY, the United States–Israel military campaign launched in February 2026 against Iranian military and nuclear infrastructure, have significant implications for India’s logistics strategy under both the Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement (RELOS) and the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA).
The operation, aimed at dismantling Iran’s missile capabilities and naval assets, triggered retaliatory actions across the Gulf region and temporarily heightened risks to maritime traffic, including threats to the Strait of Hormuz, through which a substantial share of India’s energy imports pass.
For India, such instability underscores the value of diversified logistics partnerships. Under LEMOA, access to United States facilities across the Gulf and the Western Indian Ocean enhances India’s ability to conduct evacuations, protect sea lines of communication, and sustain forward deployments during regional crises.
Simultaneously, RELOS gains renewed relevance as an alternative logistics architecture that supports energy security by utilising Arctic and northern maritime routes, thereby reducing excessive dependence on volatile Middle Eastern chokepoints.
In strategic terms, Operation EPIC FURY underscores a central lesson for India: logistics agreements are no longer peacetime conveniences but crisis-era force multipliers that enable continuity of operations, protect overseas interests, and build resilience against sudden regional shocks.
Conclusion: Networked Logistics in a Divided World
India’s adoption of both RELOS and LEMOA reflects a pragmatic approach to power in a divided global order. Rather than choosing sides, India is building a flexible logistics network that strengthens readiness without compromising autonomy.
RELOS secures access to Arctic infrastructure, sustains legacy equipment, and strengthens energy supply routes. LEMOA expands India’s operational reach across the Indo-Pacific and enhances technological interoperability.
Together, these agreements transform logistics from a support function into a strategic instrument.
As geopolitical tensions intensify—from the Taiwan Strait to Arctic sea lanes—India’s ability to operate across regions without permanent foreign bases will define its role as a stabilising force. In this environment, logistics is no longer merely administrative support. It is a silent multiplier of power, resilience, and strategic influence.