Will Trump tariff affect India-US defence ties?

India and the US share share robust defence relations, marked by deepening strategic convergence, expanded defence trade, co-production, and joint military initiatives such as drills. The latest development in this growing ties is a new 10-year US-India Defence Framework agreement expected to be signed by the end of 2025.

 

MEA (ministry of external affairs) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal expressed confidence that the blanket 25 per cent tariff imposed on all Indian-origin goods effective August 7 will not affect the growing defence ties between the two countries. The assertion comes amid reports that India has decided not to go ahead with the plan of procuring the fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets from the US.

 

“We have a strong defence partnership with the US, which has been strengthening over the last several years. There is potential for this partnership to grow further under the India-US COMPACT for the 21st century,”  Jaiswal said.

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COMPACT or Catalysing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce & Technology was launched by President Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February. The two leaders had then welcomed the integration of US-origin defence items into India’s inventory, including military transport aircraft C 130J Super Hercules and C 17 Globemaster III; multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft P 8I Poseidon aircraft; heavy lifter military transport aircraft CH 47F Chinooks, naval helicopter MH 60R Seahawks, attack helicopter AH 64E Apaches; Harpoon anti-ship missiles; M777 howitzers; and MQ 9Bs.

 

The two countries had also said India and the US "will undertake a review of its policy on releasing fifth-generation fighters (such as the F-35) and undersea systems to India." 

 

Speaking about defence procurement, the MEA spokesperson asserted that this is “determined solely by our national security imperatives and strategic assessments.”

 

Meanwhile, Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh, while replying to MP Balwant Baswant Wankhade on whether there was a proposal for the sale of the fighter jets to India, in Lok Sabha, clarified that  "No formal discussions have been held as yet on this issue."

Defence