Rajnath and Austin Endorse a Free and Open Indo-Pacific in Response to China’s Assertive Actions
India and the US have signed two significant agreements to strengthen defense cooperation, including the Security of Supply Arrangement (SOSA), which guarantees the mutual supply of defense goods.
Image credit: India Today
New Delhi: On Friday, Union Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and his U.S. counterpart Lloyd Austin discussed ongoing efforts to deepen the major defense partnership between India and the U.S., particularly in support of a “free and open Indo-Pacific region,” according to the Pentagon. The two leaders agreed to advance key co-production projects under the U.S.-India Roadmap for Defense Industrial Cooperation, including jet engines, unmanned platforms, munitions, and ground mobility systems.
Pentagon Press Secretary Major General Pat Ryder stated that Austin and Singh also celebrated progress in several bilateral defense initiatives, such as enhancing supply chain security, improving maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region, and strengthening operational coordination through Indian liaison officers at U.S. commands. Both sides agreed to further intensify cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, especially as China seeks to expand its influence in the region through the establishment of military bases, coercion of countries to support its unlawful maritime claims, and trapping vulnerable states in unsustainable debt to extract strategic concessions, Ryder noted. Austin praised the Indian Navy’s significant contributions to maintaining freedom of navigation and regional security through its involvement in the Combined Maritime Forces and welcomed India’s upcoming leadership role in Combined Task Force 150 in 2025. The two ministers also reviewed efforts under the Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness Initiative, which aims to provide Indian Ocean Region partners with unclassified commercial satellite data to enhance their maritime security and detect illicit activities, according to the statement. Additionally, the statement mentioned that India and the U.S. advanced discussions on expanding cooperation in the undersea and space domains.
On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken approved a potential foreign military sale to India, which includes anti-submarine warfare sonobuoys and related equipment valued at an estimated $52.8 million. The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has provided the necessary certification, notifying Congress of the potential sale. This equipment will enhance the Indian Navy’s anti-submarine warfare capabilities, particularly for operations conducted using U.S.-origin MH-60R helicopters.
The Pentagon’s statement followed a release by the Indian Defense Ministry on the Singh-Austin talks. Their meeting came a day after India and the U.S. signed two crucial agreements to strengthen defense cooperation: the Security of Supply Arrangement (SOSA), which ensures the mutual supply of defense goods and services to address unexpected supply chain disruptions, and a memorandum of agreement regarding the assignment of liaison officers to improve cooperation and interoperability. Singh arrived in Washington on Thursday for a four-day official visit.
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