Kuala Lumpur: The United States and India have signed a 10-year defense framework agreement, marking a major step toward strengthening military cooperation, technology exchange, and intelligence sharing between the two nations.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the deal, describing it as a “milestone for regional stability and shared security.” In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Hegseth wrote, “Our defense partnership is stronger than ever.”
The agreement was signed during a meeting with Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Kuala Lumpur.
Following the signing, Hegseth expressed satisfaction with the growing partnership, calling U.S.-India relations “one of the most important global partnerships of our time.”
He hailed the pact as “ambitious and historic,” emphasizing that it would pave the way for deeper, more meaningful cooperation between the two countries’ armed forces.
The development comes shortly after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, where both leaders discussed bilateral relations and regional security dynamics.
