U.S. And India Look To Strengthen Relationship

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III welcomed Indian Minister of Defense Rajnath Singh to the Pentagon today. The two officials discussed ongoing efforts to deepen the Major Defense Partnership between the United States and India in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

Secretary Austin and Minister Singh celebrated progress across several bilateral defense initiatives, including efforts to increase supply chain security, enhance maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region, and leverage a new agreement to strengthen operational coordination through Indian liaison officers at U.S. commands. They agreed to advance priority co-production projects, including jet engines, unmanned platforms, munitions, and ground mobility systems, under the U.S.-India Roadmap for Defense Industrial Cooperation. They further advanced discussions to expand cooperation in the undersea and space domains and welcomed ongoing implementation of the India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X), which will convene its third summit in Silicon Valley this September.

Secretary Austin and Minister Singh applauded the conclusion of a Security of Supply Arrangement, which will further integrate the defense industrial ecosystems of both countries while strengthening supply chain resilience.

Secretary Austin lauded the Indian Navy's robust contributions to upholding freedom of navigation and regional security through its participation in the Combined Maritime Forces and welcomed India assuming a leadership role in Combined Task Force 150 in 2025.

If you would like to read more, visit the The U.S. Pacific Command's website.