WASHINGTON, July 15: A top American General arrives in New Delhi on Wednesday, providing India and United States an opportunity to give some momentum to defence ties. Relations between India and US has traditionally been tepid despite some improvement since the days of the Cold War.

General Joseph Ralston, a four-star General who as Vice-Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staffs Committee is the second highest ranked officer in the US armed forces, is visiting India at the invitation of Indian Army Chief, General Shankar Roychowdhury, who was here some months back.

Officials said the visit would result in a ``better understanding and more substantial activities in the future'' between the two sides and ``could lay the groundwork for something more important to follow''.

Although several top Generals have made low profile visits to India in recent years, Gen. Ralston is said to be the highest ranking officer to visit India after Gen. Maxwell Taylor, chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff committee, who came to India in 1963 after the Indo-China conflict.

The outgoing chairman, Gen. Shalikashvili was to have visited India last year but the two sides could not work out a mutually acceptable date.

Gen. Ralston was nominated to succeed Gen. Shalikashvili as the chairman of the committee but he dropped out of contention following reports of an adulterous affair many years ago. Despite the brouhaha whipped up by the media, it was clear during the episode that he commanded the confidence of President Clinton and Defence Secretary William Cohen.

``His views are very, very carefully listened to and his suggestions will have the highest ventilation. Whatever message he is carrying will be important,'' says arms control analyst Michael Krepon of the Stimson Center.

Gen. Ralston is coming to New Delhi after a two-day visit to neighbouring Pakistan. While some see this as the usual balancing act by Washington, other experts said his scheduling was a positive development for India.

``Obviously, the United States is trying to rebuild its military relationship with both Pakistan and India simultaneously. With Pakistan, there are a whole lot of outstanding issues to talk about. With India, it's virtually a clean slate,'' said defence analyst Richard Fisher of the Heritage Foundation.

Incidentally, India and Pakistan come under different command in the US military operations structure. While Pakistan is in CentCom, India falls under the Pacific Command.

``Traditinally, India is seen as an Asia-Pacific country, while Pakistan is seen more as a Middle Eastern Country. Besides, putting them under the same command has its own logistical problems.

Israel and Saudi Arabia come under different commands because their Generals can't sit together,'' says Barbara Opall, International Editor of the authoritative journal Defence News.

Significantly, visiting Indian Generals and top officials have been invited to both commands by the Pentagon. ``It's something we have always insisted upon because our strategic interests range from Africa and the Middle East to Antarctica and Australia,'' one Indian official said.

Analysts and officials on both sides say military ties between the two sides have improved vastly since the infamous American ``tilt'' during the 1971 Indo-Pak war when President Nixon and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger backed Pakistan.

``It's not often recalled that the same USS Enterprise which sailed threateningly into the Bay of Bengal in 1971, came there in 1962 to convey a message of support to India's territorial integrity,'' says Krepon.

Indian officials acknowledge that ties between the armed forces of two sides are much warmer now. At this time, ten Indian officers are training in the United States, while six or seven Americans are doing courses in Indian military academies.

Still, analyst caution against expecting too much, too soon. ``Both sides seem pleased right now with the modest pace of political military relationship,'' says Fisher. ``There has been some talk of resuming a military relationship with India, but I wouldn't hold my breath on anything,'' adds Opall.

Some experts say India has failed to push for defence contacts and has not really capitalised on the 1995 visit of Defence Secretary William Perry. The militaries of the two sides have shown an inclination to bury the past and move on, but there has been no political backing.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.