India-US Defence Ties ‘Never Been Stronger’: 10-Year Strategic Pact Signed
On Friday, October 31, 2025, India and the United States reached a historic milestone by signing a comprehensive 10-year Defence Framework Agreement in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth inked the agreement on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus), marking what both leaders described as the beginning of a transformative new chapter in bilateral defence relations.
The significance of this moment cannot be overstated. As Hegseth succinctly stated on social media: “Our defence ties have never been stronger.” Singh echoed this sentiment, calling the agreement a signal of “growing strategic convergence” and emphasizing that defence will remain “a major pillar of bilateral relations critical for ensuring a free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific region.”
Understanding the Framework: A Comprehensive Blueprint
The “Framework for the US-India Major Defence Partnership” represents far more than a routine diplomatic document. It is a comprehensive policy blueprint that will guide all aspects of India-US defence cooperation over the next decade. This is the third such framework between the two nations, following agreements signed in 2005 and 2015. Each iteration has built upon the previous one, and this latest agreement represents the most expansive commitment yet.
Unlike earlier frameworks that were more general in nature, this 10-year pact addresses specific operational, technological, and strategic dimensions of the defence partnership with unprecedented detail and scope. The framework encompasses the entire spectrum of India-US defence relations, from military exercises and intelligence sharing to technology transfer, defence industrial cooperation, and capacity building initiatives.
Four Pillars of Strategic Cooperation
While the full text of the agreement remains classified for security reasons, official statements and expert analyses have identified four primary focus areas that form the foundation of this partnership.
Intelligence Sharing and Military Coordination: The framework establishes mechanisms for real-time intelligence exchanges and joint military planning between the Indian Armed Forces and the US military. This builds upon existing pacts like the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA), which facilitates mutual access to bases and supplies during operations. Enhanced intelligence sharing will improve interoperability between the two nations’ armed forces, enabling them to respond more effectively to shared security challenges.
This element is particularly important given the complex security environment in the Indo-Pacific, where multiple nations have competing territorial claims and where coordination between aligned powers is critical for maintaining stability.
Advanced Technology Transfer and Defence Innovation: The agreement accelerates the sharing of advanced systems in artificial intelligence, drones, cyber defence, space technologies, and missile systems. This represents a significant deepening of technological cooperation that will strengthen India’s military capabilities while also facilitating innovation through collaborative research and development.
Crucially, the framework also eases US export controls on defence technology, potentially unlocking sales of fifth-generation fighter aircraft and advanced subsystems that have previously been restricted. This is particularly significant given India’s longstanding interest in acquiring advanced American military platforms.
Defence Industrial Integration: The agreement streamlines arms deals, joint research and development, and manufacturing initiatives designed to integrate the defence industrial supply chains of both countries. This dimension is critical for India’s ambitions under its “Make in India” initiative, which seeks to boost indigenous defence production and reduce reliance on traditional suppliers like Russia.
By facilitating co-production arrangements and technology transfer partnerships, the framework enables American defence contractors to establish manufacturing facilities in India, creating jobs while strengthening India’s defence industrial base. Pending US sales—including Boeing P-8I maritime patrol aircraft, Apache helicopters, and other advanced systems—are expected to gain momentum as a result of this framework.
Regional Security and Joint Operations: The agreement expands joint exercises such as the Malabar naval exercises, which involve the Quad partners (the US, India, Japan, and Australia). It also strengthens counter-terrorism cooperation and efforts to build supply chain resilience against global disruptions. This dimension reflects both nations’ commitment to maintaining stability in the strategically vital Indo-Pacific region and countering threats from terrorism and maritime piracy.
Why This Matters: The Geopolitical Context
The timing and scope of this defence agreement reflect the profound shifts underway in global geopolitics. India faces mounting security challenges, particularly from China, with whom it shares a 3,400-kilometer border marked by ongoing military tensions. The Galwan Valley clashes of 2020 and subsequent military standoffs along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) have underscored the need for India to modernize its military and acquire advanced defence capabilities.
The US, for its part, has identified India as a central pillar of its strategy to maintain influence and stability in the Indo-Pacific as China’s military capabilities expand. By strengthening defence ties with India, the US ensures a capable partner to counterbalance Chinese military assertiveness in the region.
Both nations view this partnership as essential not for aggression, but for maintaining what they term a “free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific region”—a concept that directly contrasts with China’s approach to regional governance and maritime claims.
The Evolution of India-US Defence Relations
This latest framework is the culmination of two decades of gradually deepening defence cooperation. The 2005 Defence Framework first formalized US-India military partnership after India’s nuclear tests had prompted US sanctions. That framework represented a major shift in US foreign policy, acknowledging India’s rising strategic importance.
The 2015 Defence Framework Agreement built upon this foundation, deepening cooperation and establishing mechanisms for closer military coordination. It reflected the growing recognition that India and the US share strategic interests in maintaining stability in the Indo-Pacific.
This 2025 framework represents the next evolutionary step—a qualitative leap in commitment, specificity, and scope. Rather than broad statements of intent, the new framework provides concrete policy direction for all aspects of defence cooperation over the next decade.
Meeting Against Trade Tensions Backdrop
What makes this agreement particularly significant is the fact that it was signed despite current tensions in bilateral relations over trade and tariffs. The Trump administration has imposed 25% reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods and additional penalties related to India’s Russian oil purchases, creating friction in the broader economic relationship.
By signing this comprehensive defence framework amid trade disputes, both nations are sending a clear message: defence and strategic partnership remain above the fray of commercial disagreements. This separation of defence cooperation from trade issues reflects a sophisticated understanding that the strategic relationship is more enduring and important than temporary economic frictions.
Defence Minister Singh’s statement during the meeting emphasized this point: “I am confident that under your leadership, India-US relations will further strengthen,” suggesting that both leaders view defence ties as transcending current trade negotiations.
Looking Forward: The “COMPACT” Vision
The defence framework sits within a broader strategic partnership that was launched earlier in 2025. President Trump and Prime Minister Modi announced the “US-India COMPACT (Catalyzing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce & Technology) for the 21st Century” to advance cooperation across key sectors.
Under COMPACT, both nations are pursuing several ambitious goals, including doubling bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030 under “Mission 500,” negotiating a Bilateral Trade Agreement by late 2025, and implementing measures to lower tariffs and enhance market access.
Additionally, both countries launched “INDUS Innovation,” an innovation bridge designed to strengthen US-India industry and academic partnerships, promote investments in space, energy, and emerging technologies, and uphold their leadership in innovation to address 21st-century challenges.
The defence framework thus represents one critical component of a much larger strategic architecture designed to bind India and the US together across military, commercial, technological, and innovation domains.
Implementation Timeline and Future Engagement
Singh and Hegseth have established a clear pathway for implementing the framework. The two leaders will maintain regular contact through both formal diplomatic channels and direct communication. This first in-person meeting between Singh and Hegseth followed three prior telephonic conversations, demonstrating the momentum that has built up between the two defence establishments.
High-level defence delegations from both countries are expected to conduct regular visits to discuss implementation details and adjust priorities as circumstances evolve. Military-to-military exchanges and joint exercises will be intensified, with the framework providing the strategic umbrella under which these activities will expand.
Technology as the Game-Changer
One of the most transformative aspects of the new framework is its emphasis on technology cooperation. India has long sought access to advanced American defence technologies, while the US has gradually relaxed export controls in recognition of India’s strategic importance and its democratic governance structure.
The framework now explicitly facilitates technology transfer in cutting-edge domains like artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, cyber defence, and space-based surveillance capabilities. For India, this represents a historic opportunity to leapfrog technological gaps and modernize its military capabilities to match those of more advanced armed forces.
For American defence contractors, the framework opens doors to a massive market. India’s defence spending is expected to grow substantially in the coming years as it seeks to modernize its armed forces and maintain technological parity with China.
Regional Stability and the Indo-Pacific
Both leaders emphasized that this defence partnership is fundamentally about ensuring stability and peace in the Indo-Pacific, not about preparing for conflict. The framework explicitly commits both nations to working with like-minded partners—including Japan, Australia, and other regional democracies—to maintain a rules-based international order.
The inclusion of Quad exercises (involving the US, India, Japan, and Australia) as a key component of the framework reflects this commitment. As the Quad has evolved from an informal consultative mechanism into a more structured security partnership, the India-US defence framework provides a formal institutional basis for closer coordination.
A Transformative Milestone
The signing of the 10-year Defence Framework Agreement on October 31, 2025, marks a watershed moment in India-US strategic relations. What began as a tentative partnership in the early 2000s has evolved into one of the most important bilateral relationships in global geopolitics.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was correct when he described this moment as the beginning of a “new chapter”—this framework will shape India-US defence cooperation for the entire next decade and will have profound implications for regional stability in the Indo-Pacific.
As both nations navigate an increasingly complex security environment marked by Chinese military modernization, terrorism, maritime piracy, and emerging technologies, the partnership formalized in Kuala Lumpur provides the institutional framework necessary to address these challenges collectively.
Pete Hegseth’s statement that “our defence ties have never been stronger” captures the essence of what has been achieved. For India, this defence pact represents access to the world’s most advanced military technology and partnership with the world’s leading military power. For the US, it represents a deepened commitment to a key strategic partner in one of the world’s most important regions.
In the years ahead, the true measure of this framework’s success will be not simply in its signing, but in the operational outcomes it produces—enhanced military interoperability, successful joint exercises, accelerated technology transfer, and a more coordinated response to the security challenges facing the Indo-Pacific region.
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