Rajnath Singh, Pete Hegseth review 10-year India-US defence framework

The two sides discussed military technology, information-sharing and co-production during talks on the sidelines of the Asean defence ministers' gathering in Cebu

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth discussed defence relations between India and the United States on the sidelines of an Asean defence ministers’ meeting in the Philippines on Wednesday.

 

The meeting took place in Cebu, where Singh is leading the Indian delegation at the 13th Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus), scheduled for October 28-29.

 

“We reviewed the progress of our 10-year India-US Defence Framework, driving strategic convergence across military technology, information-sharing and co-production,” Singh wrote on X after the meeting.

 

The partnership continues to be a “cornerstone” for a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific region, Singh added.

 

Hegseth said in a post on X that the two countries had marked the first anniversary of the framework for their major defence partnership and explored ways to strengthen cooperation.

 

The meeting comes amid questions in Southeast Asia over Washington’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific, according to a Reuters report from Manila.

 

Hegseth is likely to face questions on US commitments to the region from Southeast Asian counterparts as the US balances demands elsewhere with its security partnerships in Asia, the report said.

 

The US in June restored the name US Pacific Command for what had been called the US Indo-Pacific Command since 2018.

 

The Pentagon said the change did not alter the command’s area of responsibility, which continues to extend from the US West Coast to India’s western border, or its underlying mission.

 

India has also sought to navigate its broader relationship with the US amid President Donald Trump’s global tariff measures since last year.