India and the United States signed a comprehensive new defence framework on Friday, designed to bolster their strategic relationship over the next decade. The agreement, which comes amid signs of progress toward resolving ongoing trade tensions, is expected to enhance bilateral cooperation in all defence-related domains.
The ‘Framework for the US-India Major Defence Partnership’ was signed during a meeting between Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his US counterpart Pete Hegseth, on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur. This new framework replaces and builds on the previous one signed in June 2015.
Set to guide the partnership through 2025, the framework aims to deepen collaboration in key areas, including defence-industrial cooperation, military interoperability across land, air, sea, space, and cyberspace, as well as maritime domain awareness. Officials said the goal is to “recalibrate” the relationship to address emerging security challenges and priorities in the region, with an emphasis on deterrence, stability, and maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Defence ties between the two nations have been a cornerstone of their relationship for nearly two decades. However, bilateral relations were strained earlier this year after the Trump administration imposed a 50% tariff on imports from India. Tensions also arose from claims that President Trump had brokered the India-Pakistan ceasefire through trade deals.
Despite these challenges, the Singh-Hegseth meeting underscored the strength and future potential of the defence partnership. “This framework will mark a new era in our already strong defence relationship,” Singh said. “It signals growing strategic alignment and will usher in a new decade of cooperation. Defence will remain a key pillar of our bilateral ties.”
Hegseth echoed the sentiment, emphasizing that the framework advances the US-India defence partnership, which is vital for regional stability. “Our defence ties have never been stronger,” he said, noting enhanced coordination, information-sharing, and technological collaboration between the two nations.
While India remains cautious about the shifting focus of the Trump administration’s Indo-Pacific strategy, the two defence leaders reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring the region remains free from coercion. Singh stressed that the US-India partnership was “critical” for a rules-based Indo-Pacific, while Hegseth reiterated the US’s determination to work closely with India to achieve that goal.
At a separate meeting with Chinese Defence Minister Admiral Dong Jun, Hegseth highlighted the importance of maintaining a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific, expressing concerns over China’s actions in the South China Sea and around Taiwan. “The US does not seek conflict,” he stated, “but it will continue to defend its interests and ensure it has the capabilities to do so.”
The US is eyeing even more lucrative defence deals with India, having secured contracts worth over $25 billion since 2007. Notable deals include India’s $3.8 billion order for 31 MQ-9B Predator drones, slated for delivery by 2029-30, and a $1 billion purchase of 113 GE-F404 jet engines from General Electric to power the Tejas Mark-1A fighter aircraft. The delivery of 99 such engines, ordered by Hindustan Aeronautics in 2021, has already begun after a two-year delay.
