India, US sign 10-year defence pact amid trade tensions

India and the United States on Friday signed a landmark 10-year defence framework agreement, marking a major deepening of their strategic partnership in the Indo-Pacific region.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

The pact seeks to enhance military coordination, intelligence sharing, and technological collaboration between the two nations, even as both confront their respective security challenges.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth exchanged the agreement during bilateral talks on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus. The deal renews and expands the 2015 framework that expired earlier this year.

"This will usher in a new era in our already strong defence partnership," Singh said in a post on X, adding that the pact would provide "policy guidance for deeper collaboration."

Hegseth echoed the sentiment, writing: "This advances our defence partnership - a cornerstone for regional stability and deterrence. We're enhancing coordination, information sharing, and technological cooperation. Our defence ties have never been stronger."

The Framework for the US-India Major Defense Partnership extends cooperation through 2035 without formal treaty obligations, thereby preserving India's strategic autonomy while aligning with Washington's priorities in South Asia.

Analysts see the pact as a pragmatic response to shared challenges - from border tensions along the India-China Line of Actual Control to Beijing's aggressive territorial claims in the South China Sea.

According to a Ministry of Defence readout, the agreement "solidifies India and the United States as key strategic partners in the Indo-Pacific," aligned with ASEAN frameworks.