Rajnath Singh, US War Secretary Hegseth Review Progress Of 10-Year Defence Pact

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Wednesday reviewed the progress of a 10-year India-US defence framework pact that seeks to drive strategic convergence in critical technologies, information sharing, and co-production of military hardware.

In their wide-ranging talks at Cebu in the Philippines, Singh and Hegseth also reviewed the situation in the Indo-Pacific and the fast-evolving regional security dynamics.

India and the US inked the defence framework pact in October last year that sets an ambitious roadmap to further bolster the bilateral defence partnership between the two strategic partners.

Hegseth and Singh are in Cebu to attend a meeting of a grouping of nations comprising ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member states and some of its dialogue partners.

In a social media post, the defence minister described his talks with Hegseth as "excellent".

"We reviewed the progress of our 10-year India-US Defence Framework, driving strategic convergence across military technology, information sharing, and co-production. Our robust partnership continues to be a cornerstone for a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific," he said.

The US Secretary of War, on his part, said: "Great meeting with Indian Minister of Defence Singh.We celebrated the one-year anniversary of the Framework for our Major Defense Partnership and explored ways to strengthen cooperation."

The India-US defence ties have been on an upswing notwithstanding continuing strain in diplomatic relations between the two countries under the Trump administration.

Around 11 years back, the US designated India a "Major Defence Partner", paving the way for sharing of critical military equipment and technology.

The two countries have also inked key defence and security pacts over the past few years, including the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016 that allows their militaries to use each other's bases for repair and replenishment of supplies.

India and the US also signed COMCASA (Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement) in 2018 which provides for interoperability between the two militaries and provides for the sale of high-end technology from the US to India.

In October 2020, the two sides sealed the BECA (Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement) to further boost bilateral defence ties.

The pact provides for sharing of high-end military technology, logistics and geospatial maps between the two countries.

Singh also held a meeting with Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles. "We had productive discussions on reviewing our bilateral defence cooperation, enhancing military interoperability, and addressing regional security challenges. India places great value on its Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Australia for a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific," the defence minister said.