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 .