India’s Minister for Defense, Rajnath Singh, and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin held a bilateral meeting at the Pentagon in Washington DC on Friday, August 23, focusing on enhancing defense cooperation between India and the United States. The discussions covered a wide range of topics, including industrial collaboration, regional security, and other pressing international issues.
India is keen to invite more U.S. investment and technology collaborations in the defense space, Minister Rajnath Singh told American industry leaders at a roundtable in Washington DC. Singh emphasized the potential for co-development and co-production in India’s defense sector, particularly in areas outlined in the India-U.S. Defense Industrial Cooperation Roadmap adopted last year. He highlighted opportunities for collaboration that could strengthen the defense industrial ecosystems of both countries.
A significant outcome of the meeting was the signing of the Security of Supplies Arrangement (SOSA) on Thursday, aimed at fostering collaboration between the defense industries of India and the U.S. and enhancing supply chain resilience.
The ministers welcomed the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement concerning the deployment of Liaison Officers. India will send its first Liaison Officer to the U.S. Special Operations Command headquarters in Florida.
Singh and Austin appreciated the progress made in operationalizing the Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness initiative, a Quad project aimed at strengthening maritime security in the region. They acknowledged India’s ongoing efforts to enhance Maritime Domain Awareness for its partners in the Indian Ocean Region.
The ministers noted India’s active participation in the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), with plans to deploy Indian Navy personnel to the CMF’s Combined Task Force 150 headquarters in 2025.
The meeting also recognized the efforts of the India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) in creating a Defense Innovation bridge between the two countries. INDUS-X has established strong networks across start-ups, industry, academia, and government sectors, promoting the adoption of cutting-edge technologies and enhancing war-fighting capabilities. The upcoming INDUS-X Silicon Valley Summit in September 2024 is expected to feature several key initiatives.
“The Government of India has requested to buy AN/SSQ-53G High Altitude Anti-Submarine Warfare (HAASW) sonobuoys; AN/SSQ-62F HAASW sonobuoys; AN/SSQ-36 sonobuoys; technical and publications and data documentation; U.S. Government and contractor engineering and technical support; and other related elements of logistics and program services and support. The estimated total cost is $52.8 million,” the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said. This proposed sale will support U.S.’s foreign policy and national security objectives by helping to strengthen the United States-India strategic relationship and improving the security of a major defense partner in the Indo-Pacific and South Asia regions, the DSCA added.
During his visit, Singh participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. Both leaders expressed their anticipation for continued dialogue, looking forward to the next India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue.
