US signs 10-year military deal with India to broaden footprint in Asia
Iran Press TV
Friday, 31 October 2025 11:09 AM
The United States and India have signed a 10-year defence framework agreement, deepening their strategic partnership even as trade tensions threaten to complicate their broader relationship.
India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth sealed the pact during the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.
Hegseth described the agreement as "a cornerstone for regional stability and deterrence." Singh welcomed the deal as "a new chapter" that will further strengthen India-US relations.
The framework is aimed at bolstering military, technological and intelligence cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. It follows Washington's broader push to expand its military presence in Asia, including multiple military pacts with Southeast Asian states and regular exercises.
Still, the deal comes amid significant friction in US-India economic ties. In August 2025, the US imposed tariffs of up to 50 % on Indian exports, citing India's continued imports of Russian oil.
New Delhi rejected the move as "unilateral" and lacking logic.
Analysts say the tariff dispute puts strain on the strategic partnership, noting that the military realm may be insulated but not entirely unaffected.
In August, India dismissed reports claiming it had suspended planned arms purchases from the United States amid growing trade tensions.
The Defense Ministry called the reports "false and fabricated," saying negotiations on major US defence deals, including Stryker vehicles and Javelin missiles, were continuing.
The denial followed speculation that New Delhi had paused talks after Washington imposed steep tariffs on Indian exports.
Despite the dispute, both sides maintain that defense cooperation—anchored by multi-billion-dollar agreements and expanding military ties—remains unaffected, even as trade frictions cast uncertainty over broader economic relations valued at $190 billion in 2024.
The agreement came on the same day as Hegseth also met Chinese National Defense Minister Dong Jun.
"United States does not seek conflict," wrote the US Secretary of War on X about the meeting which he described as "constructive"
US-China tensions have escalated as Washington steps up its military posture near Chinese-claimed waters.
US observers say Beijing's naval deployments in South China Sea threaten regional balances. Chinese authorities assert they are defending sovereign territory.
At the same time, the US has conducted several high-profile joint exercises with allies in the region.
For example, in April-May 2025 the annual Balikatan drills included more than 14,000 US and Philippine troops engaging in live-fire and anti-ship missile exercises near the Philippines' western coast facing the South China Sea.
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