India and US defence chiefs review their 10-year framework a year on, meeting in Cebu

India's defence minister, Rajnath Singh, met US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in Cebu in the Philippines on Wednesday, 28 October, to review how far the two countries have got under the 10-year framework that sets the direction of their defence partnership. The talks took place on the sidelines of the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus, which runs on 28 and 29 October, according to the Indian state broadcaster DD News and the news site WION.

In a post on X after the meeting, Singh said the two sides had reviewed progress under the framework and were pushing for closer alignment in military technology, information sharing and co-production. He described the partnership as a cornerstone of a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific, DD News and WION reported.

Hegseth wrote on X that the two ministers had marked the first anniversary of the Framework for the US-India Major Defense Partnership and looked at ways to strengthen cooperation further, according to the same reports. Neither side released a detailed readout of specific projects or agreements by Wednesday afternoon.

A framework signed at the last ADMM-Plus

The two ministers signed the framework on 31 October 2025 during the previous ADMM-Plus in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, WION reported. India's defence ministry has described it as a unified vision and policy direction for deepening defence cooperation over ten years, according to DD News. The Cebu meeting therefore fell almost exactly a year after the signing and at the same annual gathering.

Singh arrived in Cebu on Tuesday night and was met at the airport by India's ambassador to the Philippines, Harsh Kumar Jain, and the Indian defence attache, Captain ChandraKant Kothari, DD News reported.

Talks with Australia

Later on Wednesday Singh held a separate bilateral meeting with Australia's deputy prime minister and defence minister, Richard Marles. According to The Tribune, which carried an ANI report, the two discussed their bilateral defence cooperation, ways to improve interoperability between their armed forces, and regional security challenges. Singh said India places great value on its Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Australia for a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific.

The two ministers exchanged gifts, and Singh invited Marles to Aero India 2027, the air show due to be held in Bengaluru in February 2027, the report said.

What comes next in Cebu

India's defence ministry said before the trip that Singh would lead the Indian delegation, address the forum during a session on regional and international security issues, and hold bilateral meetings with counterparts from participating countries to review defence ties. DD News reported that his address is scheduled for Thursday.

The ADMM-Plus brings together the eleven ASEAN member states and eight dialogue partners: India, the United States, China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. The Philippines chairs the forum this year. India, an ASEAN dialogue partner since 1992, co-chairs the ADMM-Plus experts' working group on counter-terrorism with Malaysia for the 2024 to 2027 cycle, according to DD News.