Rajnath Singh, Hegseth assess progress of Indo-US defense pact

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh held a bilateral meeting with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in Cebu, Philippines on October 28, 2026 on the sidelines of the 13th ASEAN-Plus Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM-Plus). Photo credit: Special arrangement

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Wednesday (Oct 28, 2026) reviewed the progress of the 10-year India-US Defense Framework Pact, which seeks to drive strategic convergence in critical technologies, information sharing and co-production of military hardware.

In their wide-ranging talks in Cebu, Philippines, Mr. Singh and Mr. Hegseth also reviewed the situation in the Indo-Pacific and the rapidly evolving dynamics of regional security.

India and the US signed the Defense Framework Pact in October last year, which sets out an ambitious plan to further strengthen the bilateral defense partnership between the two strategic partners.

Mr. Hegseth and Mr. Singh are in Cebu to attend a meeting of a grouping of nations comprising ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member states and some of its dialogue partners.

In a social media post, the Defense Secretary described his talks with Mr Hegseth as “excellent”.

“We reviewed the progress of our 10-year India-US Defense Framework, which guides strategic convergence across military technologies, information sharing and co-production. Our robust partnership continues to be the cornerstone of a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific,” he said.

For his part, the US Secretary of War said: “Great meeting with Indian Defense Minister Singh. We celebrated the one-year anniversary of the Framework for our Major Defense Partnerships and explored ways to strengthen cooperation.”

Defense ties between India and the US are on the rise despite continued strain in diplomatic relations between the two countries under the Trump administration.

About 11 years ago, the US designated India as a “major defense partner”, paving the way for sharing critical military equipment and technology.

The two countries have also signed key defense and security pacts in the past few years, including the 2016 Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA), which allows their militaries to use each other’s bases for repairs and resupply.

India and the US also signed the COMCASA (Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement) in 2018, which ensures interoperability between the two militaries and enables the sale of high-end technology from the US to India.

In October 2020, the two sides concluded the BECA (Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement) to further strengthen bilateral defense ties.

The pact allows for the sharing of cutting-edge military technology, logistics and geospatial maps between the two countries.

Mr Singh also met Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles. “We had productive discussions on reviewing our bilateral defense cooperation, enhancing military interoperability and addressing regional security challenges. India attaches great importance to its comprehensive strategic partnership with Australia for a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific,” he said.

Published – 28 Oct 2026 13:19 IST