The United States has reaffirmed its commitment to bolstering military cooperation with India, marking a significant stride in its Indo-Pacific strategy. Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue, US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth announced an expansion of security partnerships through joint military drills and enhanced collaboration under the QUAD framework.
Hegseth underscored the growing importance of India as a strategic defence partner, citing exercises like Tiger Triumph as critical in fostering interoperability and trust between the two militaries. “We are expanding our security partnerships with India through robust military exercises like Tiger Triumph and amplifying cooperation within the QUAD and other multilateral friendly groups,” he said.
“We are expanding security partnerships with India…”, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth; Bats for Quad grouping at Shangri-La dialogue.
Vdo Ctsy: Pentagon pic.twitter.com/sDym4CeMdK
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) May 31, 2025
The QUAD—comprising India, the United States, Australia, and Japan—continues to evolve as a key platform for regional cooperation, aiming to ensure a free, open, and resilient Indo-Pacific. Hegseth highlighted a new initiative under the grouping: the Indo-Pacific Logistic Network, designed to enhance logistics coordination among QUAD partners and bolster their collective ability to respond to regional challenges.
Hegseth made clear that the US is pivoting toward a more flexible, interest-driven foreign policy model. “We will continue to wrap our arms around our friends and find new ways to work together—not only with our treaty allies but also with our key defence partners in ASEAN and the broader Indo-Pacific,” he said.
The Defence Secretary described the U.S.-India defence relationship as a “cornerstone” of Washington’s regional vision, praising recent progress in defence-industrial collaboration and military interoperability. “Look no further than our growing defence relationship with India, where we pass new milestones by the day,” he noted, referencing both joint ventures in defence manufacturing and increasing operational synergy.
Hegseth also used the platform to articulate the Trump administration’s evolving foreign policy doctrine, which he characterised as rooted in “common sense” and “national interest”—a departure from previous globalist frameworks.
Speaking on the China challenge, Hegseth asserted, “We do not seek conflict with communist China. We will not instigate, nor seek to subjugate, nor humiliate. President Trump and the American people have immense respect for the Chinese people and their civilisation. But we will not be pushed out of this critical region, and we will not let our allies and partners be subordinated and intimidated.”
. @SecDef “We do not seek conflict with communist China. We will not instigate nor seek to subjugate or humiliate.
President Trump and the American people have immense respect for the Chinese people and their civilization.
But we will not be pushed out of this critical region… pic.twitter.com/CIbXT4ilw1
— DOD Rapid Response (@DODResponse) May 31, 2025
