Washington DC [US], March 27 (ANI): US Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby concluded a visit to India after meetings with senior officials to advance elements of the 2026 National Defence Strategy and the India‑US defence partnership framework.
Colby arrived in India on Tuesday and concluded his visit on Thursday. He met with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, and co‑chaired the US‑India Defence Policy Group with Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh. The talks progressed the Framework for the India‑US Major Defence Partnership that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh signed in October 2025.
A statement from Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Sean Parnell said the framework calls for expanded operational coordination, information sharing, regional and global cooperation, and defence industrial, science, and technology collaboration. Colby also held consultations with Ambassador Sergio Gor, US Ambassador to India and Special Envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs.
In remarks at the Ananta Centre in New Delhi, Colby stressed the durability of the India‑US partnership and outlined a framework to guide defence and strategic cooperation. He said the United States benefits from an Indo‑Pacific where no single power can dominate, and affirmed that the US views India with deep respect — as a continental republic with a proud strategic tradition whose choices will significantly shape the Indo‑Pacific and the wider international order.
“Our two countries, of course, differ in history, geography, and perspective in important ways. Yet we share something fundamental: a conviction that the future of Asia should be determined by sovereign nations able to chart their own course,” he said.
At the 18th Defence Policy Group meeting in New Delhi, India and the US discussed ongoing defence acquisitions, including India’s plan to acquire six additional P‑8I anti‑submarine warfare aircraft, a proposed Javelin anti‑tank guided missile purchase via the emergency route, and a Rs 300 crore emergency procurement deal for Excalibur precision‑guided artillery ammunition.
The visit was described by the US Department of War as a key step in operationalising high‑level agreements, aimed at advancing goals set out in the February 2025 joint statement between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi and implementing the Framework for the US‑India Major Defence Partnership. (ANI)
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