The North News
New Delhi, October 31
India and the United States have signed a 10-year ‘Framework for the US-India Major Defence Partnership’, aimed at deepening strategic cooperation between the two countries across military, technological, and regional security domains. The agreement was signed on Friday during a meeting between India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in Kuala Lumpur.
Announcing the deal on social media platform X, Rajnath Singh said the framework would “usher in a new era” in bilateral defence ties. “Had a fruitful meeting with my US counterpart Peter Hegseth in Kuala Lumpur. We signed the 10-year ‘Framework for the US-India Major Defence Partnership’. This will usher in a new era in our already strong defence partnership,” Singh wrote. He added that the new framework would provide policy direction to the entire spectrum of the India–US defence relationship, reflecting “a growing strategic convergence” between the two democracies.
“This agreement will herald a new decade of partnership. Defence will remain a major pillar of our bilateral relations. Our partnership is critical for ensuring a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific region,” he said.
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth also confirmed the development on X, calling the framework a “cornerstone for regional stability and deterrence.”
“I just met with @rajnathsingh to sign a 10-year U.S.-India Defense Framework. This advances our defense partnership — a cornerstone for regional stability and deterrence. We’re enhancing coordination, information sharing, and tech cooperation. Our defence ties have never been stronger,” Hegseth wrote.
