India and the US recently held a comprehensive review of their bilateral defence ties with a focus on co-development and co-production of military hardware.
During the 18th India-US Defence Policy Group (DPG) meeting held in New Delhi and co-chaired by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and US Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby, discussions were held on Excalibur precision guided munitions for which India signed a ₹300 crore deal.
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The DPG is the apex official-level mechanism between the defence ministry of India and the US department of war, which comprehensively reviews and guides all aspects of bilateral defence cooperation with a focus on policy.
According to news agency ANI, the American officials have been asked to ensure that the precision-guided shells are delivered on time.
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Meanwhile, India is also considering procuring Javelin anti-tank guided missiles from the US through the emergency route.
Various aspects of the broader strategic relationship between the two countries were discussed at the meeting.
"Both sides reviewed ongoing initiatives, identified priority areas for co-development and co-production of defence equipment, and reaffirmed commitment to enhancing military-to-military cooperation through joint exercises, training visits and strategic exchanges," the defence ministry said.
India, which operates several US platforms like P-8I, C-17, Apache helicopters, and M777 howitzers, and the US have a robust defence relationship. The two countries had signed a 10-year 'Framework for the US-India Major Defence Partnership' in 2025, which covers co-production of advanced systems, intelligence sharing, and alignment with India's 'Make in India' initiative for indigenous manufacturing.
