Imphal: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon in Washington DC on August 23, 2024, for wide-ranging discussions on bilateral defence cooperation, industrial collaboration, regional security, and global issues.
During the meeting, Rajnath Singh highlighted the numerous co-development and co-production opportunities in India under the India-US Defence Industrial Cooperation Roadmap, adopted last year.
Both ministers expressed satisfaction with the conclusion of the Security of Supplies Arrangement (SOSA), signed the previous day in Washington DC. SOSA aims to strengthen the defence industrial ecosystems of both nations and bolster supply chain resilience.
They also welcomed the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement concerning the deployment of Liaison Officers, under which India will send its first Liaison Officer to the Headquarters Special Operations Command in Florida, US.
The discussions also touched on the progress of operationalizing the Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness, a Quad initiative, with both ministers praising India’s efforts to enhance maritime domain awareness for partners in the Indian Ocean Region. The leaders acknowledged India’s participation in the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) and announced that Indian Navy personnel would be deployed at CMF’s Combined Task Force 150 headquarters in 2025.
Both ministers commended the India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) for establishing a “Defence Innovation bridge” between the two countries. They recognized the progress made by INDUS-X in connecting start-ups, industry, academia, and governments to accelerate the adoption of cutting-edge technologies and enhance the warfighting capabilities of both nations. They also looked forward to the upcoming INDUS-X Silicon Valley Summit in September 2024, which will feature announcements of key initiatives.
The meeting was preceded by a solemn wreath-laying ceremony by Rajnath Singh at Arlington National Cemetery. Both leaders expressed their anticipation of further discussions during the next India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue.
