US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the US and India are both aware of the security threats in the region and are able to work together to address them during his meeting with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
“We can’t wait to collaborate with you to achieve our common objectives. Hegseth began their discussion at the Pentagon on Tuesday by stating, “They’re deep and ongoing.”
According to Jaishankar, “one of the most consequential pillars” of the US-India relationship is the defense cooperation between the two countries.
“We think there is a really deepening convergence of capabilities and responsibilities, and it’s not just based on shared interests,” Jaishankar stated. “And what we do in the Indo-Pacific, we believe, is absolutely crucial to its strategic stability.”
He stated that although the connections are presently solid, more may be done.
He stated, “The world is a complicated place, and our partnership can definitely make a big difference too.” Not only for us, but also for the larger area.
“The United States is very pleased with the successful integration of many US defence items into India’s inventory,” Hegseth stated. “And building on this progress, we hope to strengthen interoperability… between our forces, expand our shared defense industrial cooperation and coproduction efforts, finally sign a new 10-year Framework for the US-India Major Defense Partnership… which we hope to do very soon, and complete several major pending US defense sales to India.”
The Pentagon said they talked about the collaboration framework and weapons sales.
According to the Pentagon, one of the discussions included participation in the upcoming INDUS-X Summit, “where the two nations will continue to build on US-India defense industrial cooperation and produce new innovations in technology and manufacturing.”
“Had a productive conversation on advancing the India-US defense partnership, building on growing convergences of interests, capabilities, and responsibilities,” Jaishankar wrote on X following their meeting.
Jaishanakar is present for the quad ministerial meeting with Australian Foreign Minister Anthony Albanese, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Jaishankar spoke with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh prior to his meeting with Hegseth.
He said on X that they had a “great conversation to review the new and ongoing initiatives to strengthen cooperation in capacity building and further deepen India-US defense partnership.”
He also stated that he was “looking forward to meet him at an early date” and expressed his “deep appreciation for the unwavering support extended by the US to India in its fight against terrorism.”
Hegseth greeted Jaishankar with a Navy band playing the Jana Gana Mana and American patriotic songs, along with an enlarged military honor cordon.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump “established a solid foundation for our relationship, which we’re building on here today: productive, pragmatic, and realistic,” according to the defense secretary.
He continued, “And our countries have a long and expanding history of collaboration motivated by a common dedication to an open and free Indo-Pacific.”
According to the Pentagon, India has already incorporated US-made weapons into its armed forces, including the MH 60R Sea Hawk, AH 64E Apache, CH 47F Chinook, and C 17 Globemaster III and P 8I Poseidon aircraft.
It further stated that India has also deployed M777 howitzers, MQ 9Bs, and Harpoon antiship missiles.
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