Rajnath Singh, Pete Hegseth Review India-US Defense Cooperation, Reaffirm Commitment to Fight Terrorism
CEBU, Philippines — Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth met Wednesday on the sidelines of a regional defense summit in the Philippines, reviewing progress in military cooperation and reaffirming their countries’ commitment to combating terrorism.
The meeting took place during the 13th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Cebu, where the two officials discussed operational coordination, intelligence and information sharing, military technology, and defense industrial cooperation.
Both sides expressed support for expanding the India-U.S. defense partnership and strengthening collaboration on regional security challenges, particularly in the Indo-Pacific.
“The two leaders hailed the one-year anniversary of the Framework for the US-India Major Defence Partnership. They took stock of progress on operational coordination, information sharing, and defense industrial cooperation. They noted the recent bilateral exercise Yudh Abhyas, which highlighted the many areas of progress in the defence relationship,” the U.S. Department of War said in a statement.
Singh described the partnership as an important element of regional security and highlighted progress under the 10-year defense cooperation framework signed by the two countries in October 2025.
“Had an excellent meeting with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of the 13th ADMM-Plus. We reviewed the progress of our 10-year India-US Defence Framework, driving strategic convergence across military technology, information sharing, and co-production. Our robust partnership continues to be a cornerstone for a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific,” Singh wrote on X following the meeting.
Hegseth also welcomed the progress made during the first year of the framework.
“Great meeting with Indian Minister of Defence Singh. We celebrated the one-year anniversary of the Framework for our Major Defense Partnership and explored ways to strengthen cooperation,” he wrote on X.
According to India’s Ministry of Defense, the discussions focused on strengthening military preparedness, expanding technology transfers and increasing cooperation between the two countries’ defense industries.
Counterterrorism was another major focus of the talks, with both governments emphasizing the need for coordinated international action against terrorist organizations and their supporters.
“A key highlight of the dialogue was the review of regional security, during which both nations strongly emphasised their joint resolve to eliminate the global menace of terrorism. Raksha Mantri stressed that the global community must maintain an uncompromising, zero-tolerance approach towards nations that support, train, or fund terrorist organisations,” the Indian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
“Secretary Hegseth reaffirmed the United States’ unwavering solidarity and full support to India in its fight against cross-border terrorism. Raksha Mantri expressed India’s deep appreciation for the consistent and strong support extended by the US,” the ministry added.
The meeting marked one year since Singh and Hegseth signed the Framework for the U.S.-India Major Defense Partnership during the 12th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in October 2025.
The 10-year agreement was designed to establish a long-term framework for military cooperation, including closer operational coordination, defense technology development, industrial collaboration and strategic engagement.
The latest discussions reflected continued efforts by New Delhi and Washington to deepen their defense relationship while addressing security concerns across the Indo-Pacific and strengthening cooperation against terrorism. (Source: IANS)
