On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar met with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon. He defined the India-U.S. defense relationship as the 'most decisive pillar' of the partnership between the two nations.
During the meeting, Jaishankar stated, “I am here at the Pentagon today because we believe our defense partnership is one of the most decisive pillars of the bilateral relations in the current era.” This meeting took place immediately after the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting (QFMM), recently held in Washington. It marks another significant link in the high-level relations chain between India and the U.S.
U.S. Expresses Satisfaction
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed enthusiasm for India-U.S. defense cooperation. He highlighted the integration of U.S. defense systems into India's armed forces and emphasized the goal of expanding industrial collaboration and co-production networks.
He mentioned, “We look forward to concluding several pending defense deals swiftly, expanding defense production networks, and enhancing our collaboration. We can broaden our shared defense industrial cooperation and co-production networks.”
Preparation for a New Ten-Year Defense Framework Deal
It is noteworthy that during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the U.S. in February this year, he and then-President Donald Trump announced the preparation of a new framework for the India-U.S. Major Defense Partnership for the next 10 years.
During this time, discussions also took place on the successful integration of numerous American systems into India’s military, including C-130J Super Hercules, C-17 Globemaster III, P-8I Poseidon aircraft, CH-47F Chinook helicopters, MH-60R Seahawk, AH-64E Apache helicopters, M777 Howitzers, MQ-9B drones, and Harpoon anti-ship missiles.
Additionally, plans to co-produce Javelin anti-tank missiles and Stryker infantry combat vehicles are underway to quickly meet India’s defense needs.
