India and the US have agreed to sign a new 10-year Defence Framework. This will occur during the next meeting between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, expected later this year.

This decision was confirmed in a statement from the Pentagon on 2nd July. It followed a phone conversation between the two leaders. The statement noted that both sides agreed to sign the updated framework agreement during their upcoming meeting.

During the call, Singh and Hegseth discussed major pending US defence sales to India. They stressed the importance of deepening defence industrial cooperation.

They also reviewed the progress made since the defence goals laid out in the joint statement. This statement was issued in February 2025 by US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Singh urged Hegseth to expedite the delivery of GE F404 engines. These engines are necessary to power the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft. He also pushed for the quick finalisation of a proposed agreement. This involves Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and US defence giant GE Aerospace for the joint production of F414 engines in India.

The delay in receiving the F404 engines has caused HAL to miss the delivery deadline. This deadline was for the Tejas Mark 1A jets meant for the Indian Air Force.

According to India’s official readout, the two ministers discussed a wide range of defence cooperation topics. They agreed to strengthen the momentum of their strategic partnership. This will be achieved through improved interoperability, shared logistics, integrated defence supply chains, more joint military exercises, and collaboration with like-minded nations.

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