Another Islamic defence axis may be taking shape, with Pakistan signing an MoU with Turkiye, Qatar and Indonesia to deepen cooperation in defence production and bolster military capabilities. Signed in Doha with little fanfare, the Badr agreement, unlike the Mecca pact, is not a promise to fight together, but a plan to build defence capabilities together. For India, it raises two concerns: Pakistan's efforts to diversify its sources of weapons and military technology, and Indonesia's participation, coming months after signing a deal with New Delhi for BrahMos missiles.
While details of the memorandum are scant, it mostly focuses on joint defence manufacturing, technology sharing, military training and research and development among the four countries. Essentially, it mostly concerns industrial cooperation rather than a mutual defence pledge.
Turkiye, in fact, already has military manufacturing ties with Qatar, Pakistan and Indonesia separately. What the Badr MoU does is closely integrate the supply chains of the countries.
Each country brings its own set of resources and skills. While Turkiye boasts one of the world's most advanced defence sectors, Pakistan and Indonesia offer manufacturing capacity and labour. Qatar, on the other hand, brings investment and demand.
The exact reason behind the name 'Badr' for the agreement is unclear. The Arabic word means full moon, but experts suggest the name might have drawn inspiration from the Battle of Badr in 624 CE, regarded as Prophet Muhammad's first major military victory.
HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM MECCA PACT?
The MoU comes months after Pakistan, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia entered into the Mecca defence agreement. It is, however, very different from the Badr deal.
The Mecca pact essentially focuses on collective defence, under which an attack on one member country is treated as an attack on all. The Badr memorandum, meanwhile, seeks to build the military and industrial capabilities of its members.
Experts feel that both the agreements could complement each other. While the Mecca pact focuses on joint military cooperation, the Badr MoU could support it through industrial and technological capabilities.
"We may be witnessing the emergence of an interconnected network of defence and security arrangements extending from the Gulf to Southeast Asia, rather than a single formal alliance," defence analyst Arda Mevlutoglu told Al Jazeera.
WHY HAS PAKISTAN SIGNED THE BADR MOU NOW?
The timing of the signing of the memorandum is significant.
The turmoil in the Middle East, firstly due to the US-Iran war and then the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, is at an all-time high. With an unreliable Donald Trump in the White House, Gulf nations are increasingly looking to diversify. Reports of the US grappling with a shortage of weapons have only added to the urgency.
While US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reaffirmed that America would honour its defence commitments to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf partners, it has done little to convince the countries.
Moreover, recent comments by US envoy to Turkey, Tom Barrack, urging countries in the Middle East to take "greater responsibility" for their own security have only added to the concerns. On October 20, speaking in Doha, Barrack suggested Washington's intention to move away from its role as a regional security guarantor.
SHOULD THE BADR PACT WORRY INDIA?
The hush-hush signing of the MoU has raised a pertinent question. Will it impact India, considering its existing defence agreements with Indonesia?
Earlier this year, in July, India signed two major deals with Indonesia worth $630 million (Rs 5,953 crore) for the supply of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, the star of Operation Sindoor, and Astra air-to-air missiles. The deal was finalised during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Jakarta.
The 'fire-and-forget' missile was used by India in combat for the first time during last year's Operation Sindoor. It didn't disappoint as the missile struck and severely damaged several Pakistani airbases and radar sites.
Against this backdrop, Indonesia's move to join the Badr MoU with Pakistan is significant.
However, experts have played down concerns over it, emphasising that defence agreements with Indonesia have been done with enough safeguards.
"An MoU is not equal to a military alliance. The wording suggests that the Badr MoU is just a work-share agreement. India also shares good relations with Qatar and Indonesia," Group Captain Ajay Ahlawat (retired), a senior fellow at Centre for Aerospace Power and Strategic Studies, tweeted.
Sudhir Kumar Mishra, former CEO and MD of BrahMos Aerospace, told TOI that the Indonesia pact contains strict data protection and intellectual property clauses.
"There is no question of technologies of BrahMos and Astra getting into the hands of our rivals," Mishra further underlined.
However, what the experts unanimously concur is the fact that the Badr MoU would allow Pakistan to diversify its sources of weapons and military technology.
But, as we have seen with the Mecca pact, it remains to be seen whether the agreement translates into concrete industrial gains or remains just another broad framework with few measurable outcomes.
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