India and the United States on Friday signed a framework agreement for cooperation in the defence sector for the next 10 years.
The pact was sealed at a meeting in Kuala Lumpur between defence minister Rajnath Singh and his US counterpart, defence secretary Peter Hegseth, on the sidelines of an Asean (Association of South East Asian Nations) defence summit.
“This advances our defense partnership, a cornerstone for regional stability and deterrence,” Hegseth said on the 10-year US-India defence framework pact.
“We’re enhancing our coordination, info sharing, and tech cooperation. Our defense ties have never been stronger,” he added.
The agreement marks a significant expansion in bilateral military cooperation, which officials said could include joint exercises, intelligence sharing, and potential technology transfers. The two ministers were also expected to review India’s plans to buy US military hardware.
Hegseth, who began a series of face-to-face meetings with counterparts from China and India at the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting, said on X that he told China’s Dong Jun the United States would “stoutly defend its interests” and maintain the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific. He voiced concern about Chinese activities in the disputed South China Sea and around Taiwan.
The US defence secretary also met Malaysia’s defence minister on Thursday, where both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to maritime security in the South China Sea.
“Grey-zone tactics, such as hydrographic research conducted under the protection of foreign coast guard vessels, threaten sovereignty and are a clear provocation and threat,” Malaysian minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said in a joint statement.
The South China Sea, claimed almost entirely by China, overlaps the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Beijing has deployed a coast guard armada that has clashed repeatedly with Philippine vessels and been accused of disrupting the energy activities of Malaysia and Vietnam.
Beijing, however, maintains its coastguard operates professionally and says it is defending Chinese territory from incursions.
The United States, which has sought to bolster its presence in Southeast Asia, holds multiple defence pacts in the region — including with the Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia — and conducts regular military exercises and exchanges with Malaysia.
On Sunday, US President Donald Trump told ASEAN leaders the United States was “with you 100% and we intend to be a strong partner for many generations.”
The latest defence outreach came shortly after Trump announced he had ordered the US military to resume nuclear weapons testing, citing the rapid expansion of China’s nuclear stockpile.
His administration’s push for allies to spend more on defence has sparked tensions, though Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told Trump this week she was determined to strengthen the country’s defence capabilities.
On Wednesday, Hegseth urged Japan to accelerate plans to boost defence spending to 2 per cent of GDP, saying the alliance between Washington and Tokyo was “critical to deterring Chinese military aggression.”