Rajnath, Hegseth review 10-year defence pact, explore tech sharing, reaffirm commitment to eliminate terrorism

NEW DELHI: Union defence minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday held a meeting with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in the Philippine city of Cebu to review the progress of the Indo-US defence partnership.“Both leaders also reviewed the progress of the 10-year India-US Defence Framework and concluded by reaffirming their shared commitment to further elevate the India-US defence relationship to strategic convergence,” a defence ministry’s release said on Wednesday.The discussions touched upon advancing military-to-military exchanges, augmenting maritime security collaboration, and integrating robust defence supply chains to further deepen and expand ongoing defence industry collaboration, it said.Reflecting on the ongoing collaboration, both sides noted the robust progression of their foundational security agreements and explored fresh pathways to accelerate operational readiness, technology sharing and defence industrial integration.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. Rajnath stressed that the global community must maintain an uncompromising, zero-tolerance approach towards nations that support, train or fund terrorist organisations.Secretary Hegseth reaffirmed the US’s unwavering solidarity and full support to India in its fight against cross-border terrorism. Rajnath expressed India's deep appreciation for the consistent and strong support extended by the US.In their wide-ranging talks, Rajnath and Hegseth also reviewed the situation in the Indo-Pacific and fast-evolving regional security dynamics. After the talks, Rajnath posted on X, “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... Our robust partnership continues to be a cornerstone for a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific.”India and the US continue to expand their strategic defence partnership after the 10-year framework was signed in late 2025. The US granted India ‘Major Defence Partner (MDP)’ status in June 2016 to streamline access to advanced military hardware and technology transfers.Over the years, the two countries have signed several defence and security pacts to boost defence coordination and cooperation. The key ones among them are the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016 for using each other's bases for repair and replenishment of supplies; the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement in 2018 for providing interoperability between the two militaries and the sale of high-end technology from the US to India; and the BECA (Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement) in 2020 to bolster bilateral defence ties. BECA provides for the sharing of high-end military technology, logistics and geospatial maps between the two countries.