Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his American counterpart, Lloyd Austin, held comprehensive discussions at the Pentagon in Washington on Friday to enhance the bilateral relationship. The dialogue centred on defence industrial collaboration, regional security, and the Indo-Pacific region.
The meeting took place a day after India and the US signed two important agreements, which are significant steps in strengthening defence cooperation. The Security of Supply Arrangement (SOSA) aims to ensure the mutual supply of defence goods and services, resolving unforeseen disruptions in the supply chain. Another crucial agreement is the memorandum of understanding regarding the assignment of liaison officers, which enhances cooperation, understanding, interoperability, and information sharing on matters of mutual interest, benefiting both nations.
Singh described the meeting as ‘excellent’, stating that they reviewed current defence cooperation activities and explored opportunities to strengthen them further. The signing of the Security of Supply Arrangement and the agreement to station Indian officers at key US commands are path breaking developments.
Excellent meeting with my dear friend @SecDef Lloyd Austin. We reviewed the existing defence cooperation activities and discussed ways to deepen it further.
The signing of Security of Supply Arrangements and the agreement for positioning of Indian officers at key US commands… pic.twitter.com/wejbKjWOHI
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) August 23, 2024
Singh arrived in Washington on Thursday for a four-day official visit. “Both ministers expressed happiness at the conclusion of SOSA, which encourages the defence industrial ecosystems of both countries to work together and enhances the supply chain resilience,” said a Defence Ministry (MoD) statement issued in New Delhi.
During the discussions, Singh emphasized the potential for co-development and co-production opportunities in India within the areas outlined in the India-US defence industrial cooperation roadmap, which was adopted last year. The roadmap aims to expedite technology cooperation and co-production in crucial areas such as air combat and land mobility systems, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, munitions, and the undersea domain.
The two ministers reviewed and appreciated the progress in operationalizing the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness, a Quad initiative aimed at real-time, integrated, cost-effective maritime domain awareness in the crucial region. The Quad nations involved in this initiative are India, the US, Japan, and Australia.
“They welcomed the ongoing Indian participation in the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) and noted that India shall deploy its navy personnel in CMF’s Combined Task Force 150 headquarters in 2025,” the Indian statement said.
The two Ministers appreciated the efforts of the India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) in establishing a defence innovation bridge between the two countries. According to the statement, this ecosystem involves startups, industry, academia, and governments and aims to accelerate the adoption of cutting-edge technologies and enhance both sides’ warfighting capabilities. The upcoming INDUS X Silicon Valley Summit in September 2024 shall witness announcements of several key initiatives.
Ravi Shankar
