US-India to Sign 10 Year Defence Cooperative Framework: Pentagon
By R Anil Kumar
Washington. The United States and India have agreed to sign a new 10 year US-INDIA Defence Framework by the end of this year, US Senior Defence Spokesperson Colonel Chris Devine, has said.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth met India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Pentagon earlier today, (July 3), to discuss the close Cooperation between the two countries, weapons sales and the upcoming signing of the Framework for the new Defence partnership.
Right at the beginning of the administration President Donald J. Trump and India Prime Minister Narendra Modi set a strong foundation for our relationship, which we are building on here today: Productive, Pragmatic and Realistic Hegseth said. And our Nations boast a rich and growing history of Cooperation driven by a shared commitment to a free and open Indo-pacific.”
Secretary Hegseth said both US and India are mutually aware of the Security concerns in the region and both nations have the ability to counter the threat together.
Secretary Hegseth also touched on the US efforts to provide India with the tools needed to counter threats in the Indo-pacific region.
The United States is very pleased with the successful integration of many US defence items into India’s inventory, Hegseth said and building on this progress we hope we can complete several major pending US sales to India, expand our shared defence industrial Cooperation and coproduction efforts, strengthen interoperability between our forces, and then formally sign a new 10 year Framework for the US-INDIA major Defence partnership, which we hope to do very soon, Hegseth said.
During a meeting between President Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, earlier this February, the two leaders announced plans to pursue new procurements and coproduction arrangements for Javelin antitank guided missiles and stryker armoured vehicles and also discussed procurement for six additional P-81 maritime patrol aircraft.
India has already integrated various weapons systems into its own military, such as the C-130J Super Hercules, C-17 Globemaster III and P-81 Poseidon aircraft as well as the CH-47F Chinook, MH-60R Sea Hawk and AH-64E Apache. It also utilises the Harpoon anti-ship missiles, M777 Howitzers and MQ-9B Sky Guardians.
The President and Prime Minister during their February meeting also pledged to increase military Cooperation with enhanced training. exercises and operations.
Hegseth and Jaishankar discussed participation in the next Indo-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem Summit, where the two nations will continue to build on US-INDIA Defence Industrial Cooperation and produce new innovations in technology and manufacturing.
“We’re eager to work alongside you to realize our shared goals,” “They are deep and ongoing,” Hegseth said.
Jaishankar said India’s relationship with the US is already strong, but more can be done.
“We believe that our defence partnership is today truly one of the most consequential pillars of the relationship.It’s not built merely on shared interests, but we believe really deepening convergence and of capabilities,of responsibilities,” Jaishankar said and what we do in the Indo-Pacific, we believe, is absolutely crucial to its strategic stability.”
(With inputs from US Department of Defense)
