Washington: Asserting that there was great potential for Indo-US Defence co- operation, prominent strategic affairs experts said the US administration was keen to involve India in the missile shield programme.

"Many US officials are keen to involve New Delhi in US plans for a multifaceted missile shield," said John E Carbaugh, a Washington-based consultant in the latest issue of 'India report'.

He said senior Indian Defence officials have also made a couple of trips to the US already this year to specifically talk about involvement in a missile shield.

"One of the most exciting areas for future US-Indian co-operation could be missile defence," said Frank Gaffney, head of the Centre for Security Policy, a non- governmental think tank in Washington.

"There are good reasons to proceed with missile defence co-operation. Pakistan's nuclear and missile capabilities are dependent on China for nuclear weapon and solid fuel technology and on North Korea for liquid fuel missile technology.

"Helping Democratic India to defend itself against these missiles is a way to stand up to Communist China's nuclear and missile proliferation, and to help India defend itself from China's growing nuclear missile arsenal," he said.

However, Carbaugh points out that former US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Karl Inderfurth had cautioned against "consequences of deeper missile co- operation with India".

"Were India to proceed with an investment in missile defence, it is certain Pakistan will respond either by increasing its offensive capability to counter such a defensive shield or by pursuing its own form of missile defence from wherever they could obtain it. That is an iron law of the action-reaction cycle in South Asia," Inderfurth had said.

But Carbaugh stressed that Washington should not be too much concerned about Pakistan's reaction to US military co-operation with India.

Advocating the same, Anupam Srivastava, executive director of the India Initiative of University of Georgia warned that one of the biggest challenges to US-India Defence co-operation is the risk of the US reverting to a "zero-sum" approach (perpetually balancing between India and Pakistan) towards the region.

PTI