US-India 10-Year Defence Partnership Framework

The US-India 10-Year Defence Partnership Framework has been signed for deepening strategic convergence in the Indo-Pacific. Read here to learn about the significance of the framework.

India and the United States have unveiled a 10-year Defence Partnership Framework, marking a major milestone in bilateral strategic cooperation.

Signed in Kuala Lumpur on the sidelines of the 12th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus), the agreement signals a decisive shift toward long-term, institutionalised collaboration aimed at ensuring peace, stability, and security in the Indo-Pacific region.

Table of Contents

US-India 10-Year Defence Partnership Framework

The new framework builds upon the 2013 Joint Principles for Defence Cooperation and the 2016 designation of India as a Major Defence Partner (MDP), a status that underscored India’s strategic importance in U.S. defence policy.

Over the past decade, bilateral defence relations have witnessed growing interoperability, expanded joint exercises, and strengthened defence trade exceeding US$25 billion.

Don't miss ClearIAS updates: Add ClearIAS as a preferred source on Google Add →

However, the evolving security landscape, driven by power competition in the Indo-Pacific, threats to freedom of navigation, and emerging technologies in warfare, necessitated a forward-looking, policy-driven framework.

The new 10-year roadmap seeks to consolidate these gains into a cohesive strategic architecture.

Key Features of the Framework

Comprehensive Defence Cooperation: The framework encompasses all domains of warfare-land, air, maritime, space, and cyberspace, ensuring a multidimensional partnership adaptable to new-age security challenges.
Indo-Pacific Focus: It reinforces the shared commitment to a Free, Open, and Rules-Based Indo-Pacific, ensuring freedom of navigation, territorial sovereignty, and unhindered trade in maritime commons.
Enhanced Interoperability and Coordination: The agreement institutionalises joint training, information sharing, and operational readiness. It seeks to enhance joint responses to regional contingencies, including humanitarian assistance, disaster relief (HADR), and counter-terrorism.
Defence Industry and Technology Collaboration: The framework prioritises industrial innovation, research, and co-production through technology partnerships. It builds on the COMPACT initiative (Catalyzing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce and Technology)—a platform for co-development and co-production of next-generation defence systems.
Strategic and Regional Cooperation: Beyond bilateral ties, the framework supports multilateral engagements through the Quad and other Indo-Pacific platforms, thereby strengthening collective deterrence and regional security architecture.
Unified Policy Direction: It provides long-term strategic coherence, aligning institutional mechanisms and defence dialogues for sustained cooperation over the next decade.

Objectives

Strengthen deterrence and collective defence capabilities in the Indo-Pacific.
Promote technology transfer and joint innovation in critical defence domains.
Support India’s self-reliance in defence manufacturing (Atmanirbhar Bharat).
Enhance strategic coordination with like-minded democracies.
Build institutional resilience for sustained policy implementation.

Strategic Significance of Defence Partnership Framework

Institutionalising Defence Cooperation: The framework shifts India–U.S. defence ties from transactional engagements to a structured, enduring strategic partnership with clear goals and milestones.
Strengthening Strategic Deterrence: By improving maritime domain awareness and joint operational readiness, the framework enhances the Indo-Pacific deterrence posture, particularly in light of coercive regional behavior and territorial assertiveness.
Catalysing Defence Industrial Growth: Through joint R&D, innovation, and co-production, the framework aligns with India’s Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy (DPEPP) and supports Make in India
Enhancing Strategic Trust: It positions India as a priority security partner for the United States, reinforcing mutual trust, interoperability, and strategic alignment.
Complementing Multilateral Mechanisms: By integrating with existing platforms like QUAD, IPEF, and ADMM-Plus, the framework strengthens India’s role as a regional stabilizer and net security provider.

Challenges Ahead

Balancing Strategic Autonomy: India must navigate its traditional policy of non-alignment while deepening cooperation with the U.S.
Technology Transfer and Export Controls: Effective implementation depends on easing U.S. export restrictions and ensuring mutual trust in sensitive technologies.
Regional Sensitivities: The framework may invite geopolitical reactions from regional actors like China and Russia.
Operational Coordination: Achieving true interoperability requires sustained joint training and integration of command structures.

Way Forward for US-India

Institutionalize Defence Innovation Bridges between Indian startups and U.S. firms.
Expand joint exercises like Yudh Abhyas and Malabar to cover new domains such as cyber and space.
Deepen trilateral and multilateral coordination through QUAD and ASEAN-led platforms.
Encourage reciprocal logistics and industrial collaboration to reduce dependency on single suppliers.
Strengthen track-1.5 dialogues for strategic foresight and policy alignment.

Conclusion

The U.S.-India 10-Year Defence Partnership Framework symbolizes a maturing strategic relationship rooted in shared democratic values, mutual trust, and convergent interests.

By institutionalizing defence cooperation across domains and aligning policy frameworks, the partnership not only enhances India’s military and technological capabilities but also reinforces the Indo-Pacific security architecture.

As India aspires to be a net security provider and a pillar of Viksit Bharat @ 2047, this long-term defence roadmap will serve as a cornerstone of regional peace, collective prosperity, and strategic stability.

Related articles: