Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia): India and the United States have signed a landmark agreement to strengthen defense cooperation for the next ten years. The agreement is titled the “Framework for the U.S.-India Major Defense Partnership.”

The pact was exchanged between Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Key Highlights of the Agreement:

* Strengthening Cooperation:

The agreement aims to reinforce defense partnership between the two nations, serving as a foundation for regional stability and deterrence.

* Four Priority Areas:

The partnership focuses on enhancing cooperation in four key domains —

coordination, information sharing, technology cooperation, and capacity building.

* A New Chapter:

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the agreement marks a new chapter in the already strong defense relationship between India and the United States.

* Indo-Pacific Focus:

The partnership is seen as crucial to ensuring a free, open, transparent, and rules-based Indo-Pacific region.

This 10-year defense framework will provide a roadmap for deeper and more meaningfull collaboration between the armed forces of both countries. It will also include initiatives such as technology transfers and joint military exercises, further expanding the scope of bilateral defense cooperation.