India, US to finalise new 10-year defence cooperation framework: Pentagon
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India and the United States are set to formalise a new 10-year defence cooperation framework aimed at further strengthening strategic and military partnership, the Pentagon announced on Wednesday.
The decision was revealed in an official statement released a day after Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth held a phone conversation to review bilateral defence ties and discuss key ongoing initiatives.
“Secretary Hegseth and Minister Singh agreed to sign the next 10-year US-India Defence Framework when they next meet this year,” the Pentagon stated.
The conversation also included discussions on key defence deals pending between the two nations and the critical need for deeper industrial collaboration in the defence sector. “Secretary Hegseth emphasised the priority the United States places on India as its key defense partner in South Asia,” the statement noted.
The Pentagon added that both leaders acknowledged “considerable progress” made toward the defence objectives outlined in the February 2025 joint statement by US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
While specifics of the defence sales were not disclosed, the conversation touched upon significant deals and coordination efforts.
According to sources familiar with the call, Singh pressed for faster delivery of GE F404 engines, which are essential for India’s Tejas Light Combat Aircraft programme.
He also highlighted the importance of finalising a proposed agreement between Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and GE Aerospace for joint production of F414 engines in India - a key step toward self-reliance in defence manufacturing. Delays in the supply of F404 engines by GE Aerospace have caused HAL to miss deadlines for delivering the Tejas Mark 1A jets to the Indian Air Force.
An Indian statement on the conversation said that the two ministers discussed a broad spectrum of topics, including long-term defence cooperation, expanded military exchanges and training, and growing industry-to-industry partnerships.
“They agreed to further build upon the momentum of this critical & mutually beneficial partnership across all its pillars such as interoperability, integration of defence industrial supply chains, logistics sharing, increased joint military exercises and cooperation with other like-minded partners,” the Indian readout said.
The upcoming defence framework is expected to serve as a foundation for greater operational integration, joint technological initiatives, and strategic alignment between the two nations.