The Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) is a bilateral defence accord signed between India and the United States on August 29, 2016, in Washington, D.C.. It is a modified, India-specific version of the U.S. Logistics Support Agreement (LSA), which the U.S. signs with its close defence partners. The agreement was created after more than a decade of negotiation, stemming from the 2005 New Framework for the U.S.-India Defense Relationship, to address Indian sensitivities about strategic autonomy and concerns over granting basing rights. It solved the problem of requiring case-by-case approval for every instance of logistical support, which had previously hampered interoperability.
LEMOA works by establishing basic terms and procedures for the reciprocal provision of logistics support, supplies, and services (LSSS) on a reimbursable basis. This means the receiving party either pays in cash or settles through an equal-value exchange of LSSS. The support includes fuel, spare parts, food, medical services, and transportation. The agreement covers four main categories of activity: Port calls, Joint exercises, Training, and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR). Crucially, LEMOA explicitly does not permit the establishment of any U.S. base or permanent military presence on Indian soil, nor does it create an obligation for either party to undertake any joint military activity.
LEMOA is the first of three so-called "foundational agreements" between India and the U.S.. It connects directly to the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA), signed in September 2018, and the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) for geospatial cooperation, signed in October 2020. These agreements collectively operationalise India's status as a Major Defense Partner of the U.S., a designation conferred in 2016. The core mechanism of reciprocal, reimbursable access has stayed the same since its signing, with no major recent amendments, but its implementation has facilitated the expansion of India-U.S. naval and air cooperation, such as during the Malabar exercise.