India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh raises concerns over US F-16 upgrades for Pakistan in defence talks with Hegseth

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh raised New Delhi’s longstanding objections to major US sustainment and modernisation packages for the Pakistan Air Force’s F-16 fleet during a bilateral meeting with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Cebu, Philippines, on 28 October 2026.

The December 2025 package, notified by the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency and valued at $686 million, is intended to extend the operational life of Pakistan’s F-16s. It includes avionics upgrades, cryptographic systems and related software and sustainment support.

The India-US defence relationship has deepened in recent years through successive framework agreements, even as New Delhi has repeatedly flagged concerns over US military support packages for Pakistan, which India views as potentially usable against it rather than solely for counter-terrorism purposes.

Pakistan has used US-supplied F-16 fighters in conflicts against India, including during the 2019 post-Balakot aerial engagement, according to Indian assessments.

Indian side also warned that advanced US technology support risked falling into the hands of third parties. This comes in the backdrop of Pakistan’s close military cooperation with China.

The meeting also served as an opportunity to review progress under the India-US Major Defence Partnership and the 10-year Defence Framework signed in 2025. Both sides noted advances in foundational security agreements and discussed steps to accelerate operational readiness, technology sharing and defence industrial integration. They reviewed military-to-military exchanges, maritime security cooperation and efforts to integrate defence supply chains.

A central element of the talks was regional security and the fight against cross-border terrorism. For India, the biggest concern remains space for terror groups in Pakistan. Last year, India launched a major counter-terror operation, Operation Sindoor, in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on terror camps, after the Pahalgam terror attack.

Defence Minister Singh stressed that the global community must maintain an “uncompromising, zero-tolerance approach towards nations that support, train, or fund terrorist organisations.”

According to an Indian readout, Mr Hegseth reaffirmed the United States’ “unwavering solidarity and full support to India in its fight against cross-border terrorism.” Mr Singh expressed appreciation for the consistent US backing.

In a post on X after the meeting, Mr Singh described the talks as “excellent” and said the two sides had reviewed the 10-year framework, “driving strategic convergence across military technology, information sharing, and co-production.” He added that the “robust partnership continues to be a cornerstone for a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific.”

The US readout stated that the leaders “hailed the one-year anniversary of the Framework for the U.S.-India Major Defence Partnership,” took stock of progress on operational coordination, information sharing and defence industrial cooperation, and noted the recent bilateral exercise Yudh Abhyas. They “committed to expanding the US-India major defence partnership in support of shared interests across the region.” Mr Hegseth separately posted that it was a “great meeting” in which the two “celebrated the one-year anniversary… and explored ways to strengthen cooperation.”

The discussions took place as defence ministers from ASEAN and its dialogue partners gathered in Cebu to address regional security issues. Defence Minister Singh is leading the Indian delegation at the 13th ADMM-Plus and is scheduled to address the forum on regional and international security challenges.