The United States and India have formalised an agreement to offer mutual priority support for goods and services critical to national defence. This collaboration will enable both nations to secure essential industrial resources from each other, addressing unforeseen supply chain disruptions to fulfil their security requirements.
In Washington, D.C., two significant documents were signed as Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh commenced his visit to the United States. Senior defence officials from both countries finalised the Security of Supply Arrangement (SOSA) and a Memorandum of Agreement concerning the Assignment of Liaison Officers, as announced by the Indian Ministry of Defence on X (formerly Twitter).
The SOSA was signed by Vic Ramdass, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, representing the United States, and Samir Kumar Sinha, Additional Secretary and Director General (Acquisitions), representing India’s Ministry of Defence. With this agreement, India becomes the 18th SOSA partner of the U.S., joining countries like Australia, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, and others.
Ramdass stated that this Security of Supply Arrangement represents a significant milestone in the US-India Major Defense Partnership and will be instrumental in strengthening the US-India Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI). He also expressed his anticipation for the next DTTI meeting this fall, aiming to enhance cooperation between the defence industries of both nations and to explore opportunities for bilateral co-development, co-production, and co-sustainment initiatives.
The agreement commits the U.S. and India to prioritise each other’s procurement requests for critical defence resources. The U.S. will extend assurances to India under the Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS), with the Department of Defense overseeing program determinations and the Department of Commerce providing rating authorization. On the Indian side, the government will establish a Code of Conduct with its industrial base, where companies will voluntarily commit to providing priority support to the U.S.
The U.S. Department of Defense emphasised that SOSAs are crucial for enhancing interoperability with defence trade partners by creating working groups, establishing communication channels, streamlining processes, and proactively addressing potential supply chain issues during peacetime, emergencies, and armed conflicts. Additionally, these arrangements are valuable for developing investment strategies that ensure redundancy and security.
During his U.S. visit, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh will hold a bilateral meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and also meet with Jake Sullivan, the U.S. National Security Advisor. This visit takes place amid growing momentum in India-U.S. relations and increasing defence engagements at various levels. According to the Indian Ministry of Defence, the visit is expected to further strengthen and expand the India-U.S. Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.
Earlier, the Defense Minister had stated that his discussions with Lloyd Austin would focus on areas of strategic interest and enhancing defence cooperation between India and the U.S.
