Washington, D.C., March 27 — U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby concluded a three-day visit to India on Thursday, meeting senior officials to advance elements of the 2026 National Defense Strategy and the India–U.S. defense partnership framework.
Colby arrived on Tuesday and held talks with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. He co-chaired the 18th U.S.–India Defence Policy Group with Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and consulted with U.S. Ambassador to India and Special Envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs Sergio Gor.
A Pentagon statement from Chief Spokesperson Sean Parnell said the framework emphasizes expanded operational coordination, enhanced information sharing, deeper regional and global cooperation, and strengthened defense industrial, science, and technology collaboration.
Speaking at the Ananta Centre in New Delhi, Colby underscored the durability of the bilateral partnership and laid out a practical framework to guide ongoing defence and strategic cooperation. He framed the relationship within a shared interest in an Indo‑Pacific where no single power dominates and said the United States regards 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.’’ He also noted that despite differences in history and perspective, both countries share ‘‘a conviction that the future of Asia should be determined by sovereign nations able to chart their own course.’’
At the Defence Policy Group meeting, officials discussed specific defence acquisitions and procurement steps, including India’s plan to buy six additional P‑8I anti‑submarine warfare aircraft, a proposed Javelin anti‑tank guided missile purchase through an emergency route, and a roughly Rs 300 crore emergency procurement of Excalibur precision‑guided artillery ammunition.
The U.S. Department of Defense characterized Colby’s visit as a key step in operationalizing high‑level agreements and implementing the Framework for the U.S.–India Major Defence Partnership, in line with goals set out in the February 2025 joint statement between the two countries’ leaders.
