NEW DELHI: In a bid to reshape their partnerships, the US and India are set to sign a ten-year defense framework this year, marking a significant leap in their Major Defense Partnership after the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Trump.The US-India COMPACT (Catalyzing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce & Technology for the 21st Century) aims to drive transformative change across key areas of cooperation, including defence, investment and trade, energy security, technology and innovation, multilateral collaboration, and people-to-people ties.The defence sector is at the heart of this enhanced collaboration. The US plans to expand its defence sales and co-production with India, focusing on platforms that bolster interoperability. The acquisition of the Javelin anti-tank missile and the Stryker vehicle is set to be pursued, alongside the procurement of six additional P-8I aircraft, following the successful completion of sale terms.One of the most important aspects of the defence cooperation is that the US will review the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) to streamline defence trade, technology exchange, and maintenance. This will ease the procurement process for US provided defence systems, ensuring smoother access to spare parts and in-country repairs.
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