India and US outline plans to strengthen defense partnership with new sales and cooperation

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump have announced plans to enhance defense cooperation, including the sale of F-35 fighter jets. This marks a significant step in strengthening the U.S.-India strategic partnership. The leaders plan to sign a new 10-year framework for defense collaboration, focusing on military cooperation across various domains. They aim to improve logistics and intelligence sharing for military operations in the Indo-Pacific region. Despite these developments, India remains heavily reliant on Russian arms, which account for about 60% of its defense equipment. Experts note that reducing this dependency will take time, even with increased U.S. defense ties.