Defense chiefs of US, India sign 10-year defense partnership framework

The defense chiefs of the United States and India signed a 10-year road map for bilateral defense cooperation during their talks in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, as they seek to deepen joint deterrence efforts in the Indo-Pacific amid China’s growing assertiveness. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh inked the 2025 Framework for the U.S.-India Major Defense Partnership that charts a shared course for deterrence and interoperability, as they were in Malaysia to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus. Hegseth called the framework a “significant step” for the two militaries, anticipating that it will pave the way for “deeper and more meaningful” collaboration. “It underscores America’s long-term commitment to our shared security and our strong partnership between our countries,” the secretary said. “We have a major defense partnership that is ongoing and may be even more powerful by this agreement.” During their talks, Hegseth and Singh reaffirmed the two countries’ commitment to a “strong” and “dynamic”