US official signals more weapon system purchases with India 'in pipeline'

A top US official has said that Washington is preparing to expand defence sales to India, signalling continued momentum in strategic cooperation between the two countries.During a Foreign Affairs Subcommittee hearing, Assistant secretary bureau of South and Central Asian affairs S Paul Kapur, speaking about the growing defence partnership, said that additional purchases of weapon systems are currently in the pipeline.

These potential deals, the official said, would strengthen India’s ability to safeguard its sovereignty while also supporting employment generation in the US defence sector.“We have some potential purchases of weapon systems in the pipeline that will help India to protect itself better, ensure its sovereignty, and also create American jobs,” the official said, when asked about the "next steps" that could be taken by US to advance "relationship with India, particularly in the defense sector".Further mentioning the stabilising trade relations he added, "So we have a number of things in the pipeline and I think that momentum has continued despite some of the uncertainties around trade and I think that momentum has continued despite some of the uncertainties around trade, and it's going to continue now even more so because the trade issue has been largely resolved."The comments came during a congressional hearing on US policy in South Asia.

The House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on South and Central Asia held a hearing titled, “South Asia: US Foreign Policy in the Region,” with Kapur as the sole witness.

Marking a significant development in India-US ties, the two nations inked a trade deal which Us President Donald Trump on Wednesday hailed as a “historic trade deal”, saying it would sharply increase American coal exports.Addressing a press briefing, Trump said, “America is now the number one energy producer in the world...

We're becoming a massive energy exporter. In just the past few months, we've made historic trade deals with Japan, Korea, India, and others to increase our coal exports dramatically... The quality of our coal is supposed to be the finest anywhere in the world.”His remarks after Washington released a fact sheet detailing the “path forward” under the interim pact. The agreement lowers US duties from 50% to 18% on several Indian exports, including textiles, leather goods, chemicals and select machinery.

Talks had earlier stalled after the Trump administration imposed steep tariffs, partly citing India’s continued purchases linked to Russia amid the Ukraine conflict.

India-US defence ties

India–US defence ties have deepened steadily over the past decade, evolving from a buyer–seller relationship into a more structured strategic partnership. The US is now among India’s top defence suppliers, with major platforms spanning maritime surveillance drones, Apache and Chinook helicopters, MH-60R Seahawk naval helicopters, and advanced artillery systems.

Foundational agreements such as LEMOA, COMCASA and BECA have enabled closer interoperability, secure communications, and intelligence sharing—particularly across the Indo-Pacific.More recently, the focus has shifted from outright imports to co-production and technology collaboration. Recent agreements, such as the GE–HAL F414 jet engine manufacturing arrangement, mark a significant step in joint production and technology sharing in propulsion and aerospace systems.Read more: India to scale up US arms and aircraft purchases