India, US to ink 10-year defence framework: Pentagon

India and the US have agreed to sign a new 10-year defence framework, reaffirming strategic ties and cooperation on defence production. Rajnath Singh also urged swift delivery of GE F404 engines for Tejas jets during talks with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his American counterpart Pete Hegseth have agreed to firm up a 10-year framework to further expand defence and strategic ties between India and the US.

The decision on the defence framework was mentioned in a Pentagon statement that was released on Wednesday, a day after Singh and US Defence Secretary Hegseth held a phone conversation.

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“Secretary Hegseth and Minister Singh agreed to sign the next 10-year US-India Defence Framework when they next meet this year,” it said. It said the two sides discussed pending major US defence sales to India and the imperative of close defence industrial cooperation between the two countries.

“Secretary Hegseth emphasised the priority the United States places on India as its key defence partner in South Asia,” the Pentagon said. It said the two leaders reviewed the “considerable progress” both countries have made toward achieving the defence goals set out in the February 2025 joint statement by President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“The two discussed pending major US defence sales to India and the imperative of close defence industrial cooperation between the two countries,” the Pentagon readout said without providing further details.

In the phone conversation on Tuesday, Singh urged Hegseth to expedite the delivery of GE F404 engines to power the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft, people familiar with the matter said. Singh also pitched for early finalisation of a proposed deal between Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and US defence major GE Aerospace for joint production of F414 jet engines in India, they said.

The delay in the supply of F404 engines by GE Aerospace has resulted in HAL missing the deadline to supply Tejas Mark 1A aircraft to the Indian Air Force. An Indian readout on Tuesday said Singh and Hegseth discussed a wide canvas of issues ranging from long-term cooperation in the defence sector, including training and military exchanges, to expanding industry collaborations.

“They agreed to further build upon the momentum of this critical and mutually beneficial partnership across all its pillars such as interoperability, integration of defence industrial supply chains, logistics sharing, increased joint military exercises and cooperation with other like-minded partners,” it said.