New Delhi, July 24 - Notwithstanding the political brouhaha raised by the agreement reached on the draft of a pact that allows verification of end-use of military hardware purchased from the US, Indian security experts say the pact is necessary for India to gain access to the high-end American arms market.

'I think this is really not as extreme as it is made to sound. If India wants to obtain access to US military supplies it has to enter a protocol of this type. We wouldn't need the agreement if we could have done without US help,' National Maritime Foundation Director C. Uday Bhaskar told IANS.

The opinion is echoed by Major General (retd) Ashok Mehta.

'Every country ensures that its technology does not fall into wrong hands. If you need American hardware, if you want to diversify your inventory and not be completely dependent on the Russians, we would like to go to the US, which has the most sophisticated technology today,' Mehta said.

During the recent visit of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton the two countries agreed on the end-user monitoring arrangement that will henceforth be referred to in letters of acceptance for Indian procurement of US defence technology and equipment.

The provisions will be applicable to all military purchases from the US with retrospective effect and will provide for the physical verification of the military hardware purchased from the US to prevent its misuse.

India had inked deal-specific agreements with the US for earlier purchases, including Business Boeing Jets to ferry VIPs and the troop carrier INS Jalashwa.

'We have specific agreements with the US for earlier purchases, but so far they have never come for inspections,' said a senior defence official, requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media.

The US has signed end-user agreements with 82 countries, including Pakistan, Britain, France and Germany.

'The Americans have never harassed any country due to the end-user agreement. The best example is Pakistan, which has been using US military equipment against India,' Bhaskar pointed out.

According to a defence official privy to the negotiations for the pact, physical inspection by the US comes to the picture only when there are 'credible' allegations of equipment misuse.