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US: Lloyd Austin praises Indian Navy for upholding freedom of navigation, regional security

US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin praised the Indian Navy for its strong role in maintaining freedom of navigation and regional security during a meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at the Pentagon. The two leaders discussed deepening the US-India Major Defence Partnership, focusing on a free and open Indo-Pacific. They celebrated progress in defence […]

US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin praised the Indian Navy for its strong role in maintaining freedom of navigation and regional security during a meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at the Pentagon. The two leaders discussed deepening the US-India Major Defence Partnership, focusing on a free and open Indo-Pacific. They celebrated progress in defence initiatives, including supply chain security and maritime security in the Indian Ocean.

Both countries agreed to advance key co-production projects under the US-India Roadmap for Defence Industrial Cooperation, including jet engines, unmanned platforms, munitions, and mobility systems. They also discussed cooperation in undersea and space domains and the ongoing India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X).

Austin applauded the Indian Navy’s role in regional security and India’s upcoming leadership in Combined Task Force 150 in 2025. They also reviewed efforts through the Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness Initiative to enhance maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region. Both leaders expressed optimism about future discussions at the next 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue.

Rajnath Singh emphasized the signing of Security of Supply Arrangements and Indian officers’ positioning at US commands, calling them “pathbreaking developments.” He is currently on a four-day visit to the US .

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