NEW DELHI: Ahead of PM Narendra Modi’s summit with President Donald Trump next week, India and the US on Thursday agreed to chart out an “ambitious” defence cooperation agenda, which includes stepped-up operational, intelligence, logistics and defence-industrial collaboration.
This was discussed in a telephonic conversation between defence minister Rajnath Singh and his US counterpart Pete Hegseth, during which the two reviewed the extensive defence cooperation activities covering multiple domains in land, air, maritime and space.
“They appreciated the ongoing and remarkable expansion of the bilateral defence partnership and reaffirmed their commitment to deepen the ties. In particular, the two decided to work together on technology cooperation, integration of defence-industrial supply chains, enhanced interoperability, logistics and information sharing and joint military exercises,” an official said.
“They also agreed to provide enhanced support to the growing defence innovation collaboration between the two govts, start-ups, businesses and academic institutions,” he added.
The two countries agreed to work together to draft a comprehensive framework on defence cooperation, aimed at structuring the bilateral collaboration for 2025-2035.
The Trump administration is already pushing for India to ink more defence deals, ranging from fighter jets and armoured combat vehicles to aero-engines, missiles and reconnaissance aircraft, as earlier reported by TOI.
Just since 2007, the US has bagged lucrative Indian defence deals worth over $25 billion. India last Oct inked the mega $3.3 billion contract with the US govt for 31 weaponized MQ-9B `Predator’ remotely piloted aircraft, along with another $520 million contract with drone-manufacturer General Atomics to set up an MRO facility here.
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