India and the United States are set to sign a comprehensive 10-year defence framework—covering 2025 to 2035—enhancing bilateral military cooperation, streamlining defence procurement, and boosting strategic alignment across domains like air, sea, space, and cyberspace reddit
🛡️ What the Framework Includes
- Streamlined procurement: Simplifies purchase of weapons, goods, and services between the two countries, easing regulations like ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations)
- Reciprocal Defence Procurement (RDP): Aligns procurement systems to enable mutual supply and co-production of military equipment
- Technology cooperation: Covers collaboration in space, air defence, missiles, maritime systems, undersea tech, and intelligence sharing
- Expanded sales and co-production: Includes items like F‑35 jets, P‑8I maritime aircraft, Javelin anti‑tank missiles, Stryker combat vehicles, sonobuoys, undersea platforms, and advanced helicopters
🤝 Official Confirmation
The framework was announced after PM Narendra Modi’s meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C. India’s Foreign Secretary confirmed formal talks on it. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and U.S. Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth reiterated their commitment to deepen collaboration on intelligence, logistics, and industrial ties
🏅 Strategic Significance
- Boost to Make in India: Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi said the framework will “greatly benefit defence production” and spur self-reliance
- Deterrence in Indo‑Pacific: It strengthens readiness to counter shared threats, especially from China and Pakistan
- Industrial cooperation: Co-production and technology sharing with U.S. firms enhance India’s role in global defence supply chains
📅 Timeline & Next Steps
- 2025–2035: Framework duration.
- Now: Finalization expected later this year.
- Upcoming: Signing of Reciprocal Defence Procurement deal and adjustment to ITAR rules.
✅ Final Takeaway
The India US 10 year defence framework deal marks a historic moment in strategic bilateral ties. It advances military interoperability, accelerates technology and industrial cooperation, and strengthens regional deterrence. Spanning a decade, this pact aims to transform India’s defence posture and foster American‑Indian alignment in an increasingly contested Indo‑Pacific.
