Defence cooperation between the United States and India has significantly advanced in the 21st century. The armed forces of both nations have engaged in multiple bilateral and multilateral military exercises, fostering mutual understanding, enhancing interoperability, and collaborating on regional and global security challenges. Additionally, India has procured over $20 billion worth of arms and weapon systems from US defence manufacturers. However, the relationship has lagged in critical areas such as technical collaboration, joint production, and technological and production expertise transfers.

Therefore, this National Security Dialogue aims to address the following questions:

1. What key factors drive and intensify US-India defence cooperation in the current geopolitical landscape?
2. How can India’s defence industry capitalise on the post-Ukraine War scenario, especially as Western military inventories face depletion?
3. Despite agreements like COMCASA, LEMOA, GSOMIA, and BECA and numerous initiatives, why has defence industrial cooperation and technological collaboration between Indian and US companies remained minimal?
4. What will be considered President Biden’s legacy in US-India defence cooperation? What prospects lie ahead under the upcoming President Trump Administration?

Speakers:

Brigadier Arun Sahgal (Retd.), Director, Forum for Strategic Initiatives, New Delhi, India

Sameer Lalwani, Senior Expert – South Asia, US Institute of Peace, Washington DC, USA

Manu Pubby, Senior Editor, The Economic Times, New Delhi, India

Akriti Vasudeva, Fellow – South Asia, Stimson Center, Washington DC, USA

Shruti Pandalai, Fellow, Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA), New Delhi, India

Moderator: 

Manoj Joshi, Distinguished Fellow, Observer Research Foundation, India