India, U.S. Set a New Ten-Year Defence Alliance, Eyeing Drones and AI Weapons. In a landmark step, India and the United States have signed a 10-year defence framework agreement that will significantly deepen military cooperation between the two nations.
Under the pact, both countries will focus on advanced research and development in areas including unmanned aerial systems, artificial intelligence, and defence industrial collaboration. High-end U.S. technology such as next-generation drones and AI-enabled weapons systems is expected to be shared with India under this new arrangement. The agreement also emphasises interoperability across land, air, sea, space and cyberspace domains.
For India, the deal marks a strategic boost in its ambition to move beyond traditional defence sourcing and strengthen its domestic industry under its “Make in India” and Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) initiative. For the U.S., the pact reinforces India’s role as a key partner in preserving a free, open Indo-Pacific region. According to the U.S. defence chief, military ties with New Delhi “have never been stronger.”
The framework replaces and expands a previous agreement signed in 2015 and commits both countries to a unified vision and policy direction for the next decade. Discussions leading up to the signing emphasised the need to address emerging threats through enhanced coordination, cutting-edge defence-industrial partnerships, and advanced sensor and weapon technologies.
Officials believe the deal will have far-reaching implications from faster procurement cycles to technology transfer in niche areas such as high-altitude drones, integrated command-and-control systems, and AI-based autonomous weapons. While details around specific transfers remain under negotiation, observers say this marks a substantial shift in India-U.S. defence cooperation. India’s Defence Minister described this milestone pact as the beginning of a “new chapter” in bilateral defence relations.
