Kuala Lumpur: The United States and India have signed a 10-year defense framework agreement aimed at enhancing regional stability and military cooperation.

US Secretary of Defense Pat Hegseth announced the development following his meeting with Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh in Kuala Lumpur.

I just met with @rajnathsingh to sign a 10-year U.S.-India Defense Framework.

This advances our defense partnership, a cornerstone for regional stability and deterrence.

We're enhancing our coordination, info sharing, and tech cooperation. Our defense ties have never been… pic.twitter.com/hPmkZdMDv2

— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) October 31, 2025

In a post on social media platform X, Pat Hegseth described the agreement as a milestone for “stability and defense balance in the region.”

According to the US defense secretary, the deal will strengthen cooperation, intelligence sharing, and technology exchange between the two countries’ armed forces.

“This is an important step towards building a deeper and more effective defense partnership between the US and India,” he added.

The meeting between the two defense ministers took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Summit. It came at a time when bilateral relations faced strain after Washington imposed a 50 percent tariff on Indian goods in August, following India’s continued purchase of Russian oil.

Sources said that India had temporarily paused its purchase of US defense equipment after the tariffs, but today’s meeting also discussed the review of defense procurement plans between the two nations.