Thursday, 06 Nov, 2025
Over the past ten years, a number of defence agreements and cooperative mechanisms have been developed, which the most recent framework builds upon. Image Source: Press Information Bureau
The “Framework for the U.S.–India Major Defence Partnership” was signed by U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during the 12th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
On October 31, 2025, India and the United States signed a historic 10-year deal that aims to institutionalise and strengthen strategic cooperation in all areas of defence. The “Framework for the U.S.–India Major Defence Partnership” was signed by U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during the 12th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The agreement, being reached at a time when Washington's decision to impose 50 percent tariffs on Indian goods has strained broader economic ties, marks a significant turning point in the advancement of bilateral defence relations. Notwithstanding this, both parties reaffirmed their shared resolve to deepen defence cooperation, highlighting the partnership's strategic significance for maintaining regional and international stability.
The Ministry of Defence said that the two ministers examined the entire spectrum of current defence engagements, discussed novel security concerns, and evaluated advancements in fields like military interoperability, advanced technology partnerships, and defence industry collaboration. Both leaders emphasised the importance of maintaining their current state of bilateral defence cooperation momentum and looking into new avenues for defence system co-production and co-development. Secretary Hegseth called the framework a cornerstone for regional stability and deterrence and said it was an important step in developing bilateral defence relations. “We’re enhancing our coordination, information sharing, and technology cooperation. Our defence ties have never been stronger,” he wrote in a post after the agreement was reached.
The Ministry further stated that the new 10-year framework is intended to give strategic direction and policy continuity for defence cooperation between the two countries through 2035. This will allow for more organised advancement in intelligence sharing, logistics, joint military exercises, and strategic coordination with Indo-Pacific regional partners. The two leaders had a one-on-one meeting after delegation-level discussions during the high-level engagement in Kuala Lumpur, which highlighted the strong personal connection and strategic trust that had developed between the defence establishments of the two countries.
Over the past ten years, a number of defence agreements and cooperative mechanisms have been developed, which the most recent framework builds upon. Following a meeting in February 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump declared their intention to finalise this new framework in order to open a new chapter in their bilateral defence relations. At the time, they reiterated their commitment to a broad and dynamic partnership spanning multiple domains, from aerospace and cyber cooperation to land and maritime security, in a joint statement which highlighted the growing convergence of strategic interests.
The Joint U.S.–India Declaration on Defence Cooperation from 2013 and the Framework for the U.S.–India Defence Relationship from 2015, which officially recognised both countries as significant defence partners, are the origins of this recent development. By signing four foundational agreements between 2016 and 2020- LEMOA (Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement, 2016), COMCASA (Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement, 2018), and BECA (Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement, 2020), the relationship was further institutionalised and improved logistics cooperation, secure communications, and the sharing of geospatial intelligence. To further strengthen the institutional ties between their defence establishments, both nations also signed a Memorandum of Agreement on the Assignment of Liaison Officers and a Security of Supply Arrangement (SOSA) in August 2024.
There is still active military-to-military interaction. Indian and American troops engaged in the yearly Yudh Abhyas joint military exercise in September 2025 at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, with an emphasis on tactical interoperability and high-altitude warfare. At about the same time, the USS Frank Cable, a submarine support ship in the U.S. Navy made a planned port call in Chennai, highlighting the expanding maritime cooperation between the two countries and the Military Sealift Command's second trip to the region in two years.
Industrial collaboration and defence trade have become two more solid pillars of the partnership. SIG Sauer rifles, M777 ultra-light howitzers, and MH-60R Seahawk multi-role helicopters are among the main American weapons that India purchases. Additionally, under the "Make in India" framework, negotiations are underway to manufacture GE F-414 jet engines in India for the upcoming LCA Tejas Mk2 fighters. Additionally, negotiations are in progress for India to purchase 31 MQ-9B High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, which would greatly enhance India's capacity for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. GE F-404 engine deliveries for the LCA Tejas Mk1A are already underway.
When put together, these initiatives offer an extensive and progressive framework for defence cooperation. The recently signed 10-year roadmap is therefore well-positioned to strengthen their shared vision of a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific region and to change the U.S.-India defence relationship into one that is more technologically sophisticated, resilient, and strategically aligned.
Lt. Gen. Claude Kicklighter's early 1990s initiatives laid the foundation for the current defence partnership between the United States and India. At the time, Lt. Gen. Kicklighter was the commander of the U.S. Army's Hawaii-based portion of the Pacific Command, which is now called the Indo-Pacific Command. Since then, this command has continued to be the main conduit for all military cooperation between the United States and India. The United States aimed to encourage defence technology cooperation as a substitute after realising India's significant reliance on reasonably priced Russian defence equipment. The Reagan Administration's progressive improvement in Indo-American ties, which Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi supported from 1982 to 1989, made these proposals feasible.
The Indo-U.S. Memorandum of Understanding on technology transfer, which was signed in December 1984, and the historic visit to New Delhi by U.S. Defence Secretary Caspar Weinberger in 1986, the first by a U.S. Defence Secretary are the foundational events of the present-day partnership. An early milestone in defence cooperation was reached when the United States agreed to supply the GE 404 engine for India's Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) project as a result of this visit.
The “Agreed Minute on Defence Relations,” signed in 1995, represented the first formal document between the two defence ministries after the Cold War, setting the stage for deeper engagement in the defence sector. It made it easier for the two armed forces to share more people, information, and technical know-how. In order to supervise and direct bilateral defence cooperation, the two countries formed the Defence Policy Group (DPG), which is co-chaired by the defence secretaries of India and the United States.
Although India was designated as a “Major Defence Partner” by the United States in 2016, the status lacked a precise legal definition and did not translate into clear operational privileges. This stands in contrast to Pakistan’s designation as a “Major Non-NATO Ally,” which is a formal legal category under U.S. law, granting access to specific defence and security benefits.
