Rajnath Singh and U.S. Defence Chief Review 10-Year Pact in Philippines

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth met in Cebu, Philippines, on October 28, 2026, to review a 10-year bilateral defence framework pact.

Bilateral Talks

The two leaders met on the sidelines of the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus to discuss strategic ties in critical technologies, information sharing, and military hardware co-production. They also assessed security dynamics in the Indo-Pacific region. Mr. Singh called the talks excellent, while Mr. Hegseth noted they celebrated the one-year anniversary of the Major Defense Partnership framework.

Past Pacts

India and the U.S. signed this defence framework pact in October last year. Around 11 years ago, Washington designated India a Major Defence Partner. Both nations previously signed several key security agreements, including LEMOA in 2016 for military base access, COMCASA in 2018 for high-end technology sales, and BECA in 2020 for geospatial map sharing.

Australian Meeting

Mr. Singh also met Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles in Cebu. They discussed bilateral defence cooperation, military interoperability, and regional security challenges.

Context

ASEAN brings together Southeast Asian nations and key dialogue partners to discuss security and economic cooperation in the wider region. Defence pacts between India and Western nations help build shared capabilities and maintain open sea lanes in the Indo-Pacific.