July 3, 2025

India emphasized its right to defend against terrorism and pre-empt cross-border attacks from Pakistan in a discussion with US Defence Secretary. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh highlighted the precise and focused nature of India's actions during Operation Sindoor in May. The conversation followed President Trump's complimentary remarks towards Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir and PM Modi. Singh also acknowledged US support in the fight against terrorism and discussed strengthening defence cooperation through various initiatives like joint military exercises and supply chain integration. Singh urged for faster delivery of General Electric's GE-F404 engines for Tejas-Mark 1A fighters and the production agreement for GE-F414 engines in India. He also pushed for the timely delivery of Apache attack helicopters that the Indian Army had ordered in 2020. The delayed delivery of GE-F404 engines has hindered the supply of Tejas jets, with future orders in the pipeline. The discussion included plans for the delivery of 83 upgraded Tejas Mark-1A jets and another 97 jets under a significant deal with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

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Tags: India, Us, Terrorism, Defence, Pakistan, May 7-10 hostilities, Operation sindoor, General electric, Tejas-mark 1a fighters, Apache helicopters,