Opinion: Never Before Has Defence Been So Important For India-US Ties

The US-India defence relationship is rapidly expanding, adapting to evolving regional and global security demands. This includes safeguarding supply chains, advancing critical and emerging technologies, and enhancing cooperation in cyber, space, and new dimensions of battlespace dominance. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's visit to the US from August 23-26 highlighted these shifts, aiming to bridge bilateral gaps in these critical areas. The visit underscored a clear trend: while major defence deals continue to strengthen traditional security ties, both nations are increasingly emphasising emerging strategic elements to integrate the security partnership with a purposive intent towards making the Indo-Pacific region free and open.

Issues central to joint India-US interests in the Indian Ocean and the security of the Indo-Pacific are being prioritised. India's increasing role in shaping regional security by ensuring freedom of navigation, now especially as a member of the Combined Maritime Force (CMF), was acknowledged. With India assuming leadership in the Combined Task Force 150 in 2025, stakes for an expanded regional security role have increased for New Delhi.

The Indo-Pacific Arena

As the Indo-Pacific remains central to regional and global security, enhancing partnership in this region is key to shaping a regionally favourable security architecture. Towards this, the visit provided an opportunity for steps in increasing supply chain security as well as enhancing maritime security in the Indian Ocean. Among the highlights was a new agreement to expand and strengthen operational coordination between India and the US by placing Indian liaison officers at US commands. The agreement is a step up for regional security coordination and domain awareness in the Indo-Pacific for India, complementing an earlier initiative to host US officers at the Information Fusion Centre (IFC-IOR) in India. It also overcomes the capacity limitations of India, indeed any country, to solely monitor the vast expanse of the Indo-Pacific on a real-time basis. Beyond the Indo-Pacific, placing Indian liaison officers at the other 10 Combatant Commands could usher new vistas in information sharing.

At the heart of the visit were steps to strengthen the Major Defence Partnership (MDP) and provide fresh momentum to joint production, including the reigniting of the Defense Trade and Technology Initiative (DTTI). Under the US-India Roadmap for Defense Industrial Cooperation, an agreement to jointly produce jet engines, unmanned platforms, munitions, and ground mobility systems was signed. Leading up to the third summit of the India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) to be held in September in the US, discussions to expand cooperation in the areas of undersea and space-related collaborations were timely.

What Is SOSA

One of the most significant outcomes of the visit was the signing of the Security of Supply Arrangement (SOSA), which makes India the 18th country to enter into this agreement with the US. It reflects a shared long-term vision to seamlessly integrate the defence industrial ecosystems of both nations while safeguarding supply chains from future disruptions. SOSA complements the Major Defense Partnership (MDP) and the Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI). Notably, the visit aimed to reinvigorate the DTTI, a co-production initiative launched with high expectations, but that had lost momentum. The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment will host a DTTI meeting in the coming months, bringing together government and private stakeholders from both countries' defence industries. The DTTI's primary goal is to integrate the defence industrial bases of the US and India, promoting bilateral co-development, co-production, and co-sustainment efforts.

SOSA strengthens the partnership by establishing guardrails for supply chains between the two countries' defence industries, which are poised to grow with new co-production and co-development opportunities. Guided by the US Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS), the arrangement provides structural and institutional assurances for defense supplies. India, in turn, is expected to develop a common code of conduct for government and industry stakeholders, prioritizing critical supplies to the US on a voluntary basis. With SOSA in place, working groups will have the framework to communicate more frequently and take proactive steps to ensure supply chain stability in both peacetime and crisis situations.

Diaspora As A 'Living Bridge'

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's reference to the Indian diaspora in the US as a 'living bridge' now resonates within the context of the growing India-US defence relationship. This June marked the first anniversary of the US-India INDUS-X Initiative, which aims to build a defence innovation bridge between the two countries under the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET). By connecting researchers, investors, and defence tech companies from both nations, INDUS-X outlines a strategy to harness private capital for defence innovation.

India and the US are swiftly adapting to the evolving global security landscape, responding to new threat perceptions with increased innovation and cooperation in advanced domains. The second US-India Advanced Domains Defense Dialogue (AD3) held this year underscored the importance of coordination in emerging defence areas, including space, cyber, and artificial intelligence, while identifying critical sub-sectors for potential industrial collaboration.

The Next Goals

The Defence Minister also visited the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Memphis, accompanied by a delegation from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), signalling a potential pathway for co-learning and development. In a boost to India's Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) capabilities, India secured the purchase of sonobuoys from the US in the lead-up to the visit. The acquisition and co-production of General Atomics' MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft systems and the joint production of GE F414 jet engines in India are the next major goals for both nations.

Rajnath Singh's visit managed to underline once again that defence is the main driver when it comes to shaping the trajectory of US-India bilateral engagement.

(Harsh V Pant is Vice President for Studies at ORF and Professor at King's College London. Vivek Mishra is Fellow, Americas, at ORF.)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the authors