External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar met US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon in the US last night. He highlighted the strategic importance of India-US defence ties, describing them as “one of the most consequential pillars” of the bilateral relationship. The meeting comes in the wake of the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (QFMM) in Washington, marking another key engagement in a series of high-level India-US interactions.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed enthusiasm about the growing defence partnership between the two countries. He highlighted the integration of US defence systems into India’s armed forces and outlined the goal of expanding industrial cooperation and co-production networks. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US in February this year, he announced, along with US President Donald Trump, the plans to sign a new ten-year Framework for the US-India Major Defence Partnership. Both leaders had also welcomed the significant integration of US-origin defence equipment into India’s military inventory.
