10 Year Defense Deal Between India, Us in the Works
Another major step has been taken to take defense cooperation between India and the US. The two countries have agreed to form a new defense agreement for the next 10 years. India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have promised to strengthen the deal further. The agreement will take strategic and military relations between the two countries to new heights. But the question is, what will India benefit from this deal and what will America get? Come, let’s understand it in detail.
Defense cooperation of India and America is decades old
Defense cooperation of India and America is not new. According to a report by the Observer Research Foundation, the relationship between the two countries started from the time of the 1962 Indo-China war. At that time, America gave military help to India. After this, in 1984, there was an important agreement on technology transfer. In 1986, US Defense Secretary Casper Venberger visited India, which was the first visit of a US Defense Secretary to India. After this, defense cooperation between the two countries continued to increase.
In 1995, the first official document named ‘Agrid Minute on Defense Relations’ was signed. Then in 2002, High-Technology Cooperation Group (HTCG) was formed, which was to discuss high-tech issues. In 2004, the then US President George Bush and Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee launched the ‘Next Steps in Strategic Partnership’ (NSSP). In 2005, the two countries signed a 10 -year defense structure, which further strengthened the relationship.
PM Modi and President Trump
Indo-US relationship became stronger of time
Over time, Indo-US defense cooperation took many significant turns. In 2010, the then US Foreign Secretary Hillary Clinton and Indian Foreign Minister SM. Krishna started the US-India strategic dialogue. Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) began in 2012, which aims to promote defense technology and trade between the two countries. In 2015, the two countries released a joint strategic vision for the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions.
In 2016, the US declared India its major defense partner. In 2018, India was included in the Strategic Trade Authorization Tier-1 States, which led India to get military and dual-use technology unlicensed from the US. The same year the US Pacific command was renamed as an Indo-Pacific command, which reflects India’s growing strategic importance.
In 2019, the two countries signed the Industrial Security Agreement. The Indo-US Industrial Security Joint Working Group was established in 2021. In 2023, Indo-US launched Indus-X for strategic technology and defense industry cooperation. In addition, India became a full member of the Bahrain-based joint maritime forces.
There have been many basic agreements between India and the US, which are the foundation of this partnership. In 2002, the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) was signed, which aims to protect confidential military information between the two countries. In 2016, the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) signed, which makes military aid and service processes easier.
In 2018, Communication Compatibility and Security Agreement (Comcasa) took place, which reached India’s advanced defense system. The Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) signed in 2020, which increases geo-special cooperation. All these agreements further strengthen military and technical cooperation between the two countries.
Defense trade changed since 2008
The defense trade between India and the US was limited before 2008. During that time, the US gave India some naval helicopter, counterbatory radar and a transport dock ship, which cost around $ 233 million. But since 2008, there was a tremendous bounce in defense deals. India made a defense deals of about $ 24 billion from the US.
These deals include C-17 Globemaster Heavy Transport Aircraft, P-8i Posidon Marine Patrol Aircraft, Apache and Chinook helicopter, Harpoon Anti-Ship Missile, M-777 Hovitzer cannon and MQ-9b drones. India is now the largest operator of C-17 and P-8i aircraft, which is with a country outside the US.
Recently in October 2024, India made a 31 MQ-9b drone deal with the US company General Atomics, which costs around $ 4 billion. Of these, 15C Guardian drones will be for Navy and 16 Sky Guardian drones will be for the army and Air Force. These drones will play a big role in monitoring and security of India’s maritime and ground borders.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump
What is the benefit of India?
Now what will India get from this 10 -year deal? Which is the answer, many types of benefits. The biggest advantage is that India’s military strength will increase. Weapons like MQ-9B drone, P-8i aircraft, Apache helicopter and Javelin anti-tank missile will further strengthen India’s army. These weapons will prove to be important especially in countering China’s increasing dominance in the Indo-Pacific region.
Apart from this, India will get high-tech technology from America. The supply of GE F404 and F414 jet engines and their joint production in India will give more strength to indigenous fighter jets like Tejas. Defense production will be boosted under Make in India, which will increase jobs and benefit the economy.
This deal will also strengthen India strategically. Deep defense cooperation with the US will make India a big player in the Indo-Pacific sector. Also, this deal will help India reduce its defense dependence on Russia. According to a report by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), 76% of India’s weapons came from Russia in 2009, which fell to 36% in 2024. Countries like America and France are filling this deficiency.
What will America get?
At the same time, this deal is no less than a treasure for America. He is getting billions of dollars of defense deals from a big market like India. Since 2008, India has bought $ 24 billion weapons from the US, and this figure will increase further with new deals. This will greatly benefit US defense companies like Boeing, Lockheed Martin and General Atomics.
Apart from this, America will get a strong partner in the Indo-Pacific region with defense cooperation with India. India can prove to be a major ally in America in creating strategic balance against China. Also, technology transfer and joint production with India will give American companies a chance to increase business in India.