India, US Sign 10-Year Framework to Boost Defence Ties

• India and the U.S. signed a 10-year framework agreement to enhance defence cooperation.
• The pact provides policy guidance for joint exercises, technology transfer, and defence production
• The agreement reflects growing strategic alignment and strengthens long-term bilateral defence ties

India and the United States have agreed to a 10-year framework recently to improve the cooperation in the defence sector. The deal was struck during a meeting between India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and U.S. Secretary of War Peter Hegseth at the ASEAN-India Defence Ministers’ Informal Meeting in Kuala Lumpur.

On X, Rajnath Singh stated, "Had a fruitful meeting with my US counterpart Peter HegsethSec in Kuala Lumpur. We signed the 10-year ‘Framework for the US-India Major Defence Partnership’. This will usher in a new era in our already strong defence partnership".

He indicated that the new framework would "provide policy direction to the entire spectrum of the India-US Defence Relationship" and characterized it as a sign of "growing strategic convergence".

Minister Singh indicated that the framework would be a guiding policy for the entire range of India-US defence relations, and at the same time, he pointed out that this was a token of the countries’ increasing strategic alignment.

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"The framework will herald a new decade of partnership. Defence will remain a major pillar of our bilateral relations and is critical for ensuring a free, open, and rules-bound Indo-Pacific region", he added.

Hegseth said that the agreement was a major move forward in the process of making defence links between the two countries stronger.

"This advances our defence partnership, a cornerstone for regional stability and deterrence. We’re enhancing our coordination, information sharing, and technology cooperation. Our defence ties have never been stronger", he noted.

The agreement is designed to guide collaboration between the armed forces of both nations over the next decade, covering areas such as joint military exercises, technology transfers, and defence production initiatives.

It underscores the commitment of India and the U.S. to deepen strategic cooperation, enhance operational interoperability, and foster long-term defence partnerships, further solidifying their position as key partners in regional and global security.