CNI News Desk

India and the United States are gearing up to sign a major 10-year defence agreement to boost military ties and cooperation. This big move was confirmed by the Pentagon after a phone call between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

According to the statement, both leaders agreed to finalize and sign the new long-term defence framework during their next in-person meeting this year.

But that’s not all Rajnath Singh also made a strong pitch during the call to fast-track the delivery of GE F404 jet engines that power India’s Tejas fighter jets. These engine delays have already slowed down production timelines for the Tejas Mark 1A jets by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

Singh also pushed for wrapping up a key deal between HAL and U.S. defence giant GE Aerospace to jointly manufacture the more powerful F414 jet engines in India a big step for “Make in India” and defence self-reliance.

The Pentagon said both countries reviewed their recent progress on defence cooperation, especially following the joint statement made earlier this year by Prime Minister Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump. Washington also emphasized that India remains a top defence partner in South Asia.

The two leaders touched on major U.S. defence sales to India and agreed to ramp up defence industrial cooperation. They also discussed expanding joint military training, sharing logistics, boosting interoperability, and working together with other like-minded countries in the region.

This upcoming deal could mark a new high in the India-U.S. defence partnership and bring in faster jets, deeper collaboration, and stronger regional security.

Source News Agencies