India-US 10-Year Defence Pact: A Critical Global Perspective

BOOK DESCRIPTION India-US 10-Year Defence Pact: A Critical Global Perspective On October 31, 2025, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh signed a landmark 10-year defense framework agreement—a strategic document that may reshape the Indo-Pacific security architecture for the next decade. This comprehensive analysis dissects the agreement's implications not only for India and the United States, but for China, Russia, ASEAN nations, and the global balance of power. India-US 10-Year Defence Pact: A Critical Global Perspective provides the first in-depth examination of this transformative agreement, situating it within the broader context of foundational defense agreements (LEMOA, COMCASA, BECA), the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), and the evolving Indo-Pacific strategic competition. Dr. Naim Tahir Baig delivers a rigorously researched yet accessible narrative that balances the optimism of enhanced bilateral cooperation with critical scrutiny of potential risks—from technological dependency and sovereignty erosion to unintended escalation with China and the strain on India's multi-alignment doctrine. Drawing on declassified documents, official statements, expert interviews, and over 200 verifiable sources, this work traces the unlikely evolution of U.S.-India defense ties from Cold War estrangement to strategic partnership. It examines the economic dimensions of defense trade projected to reach $50 billion by 2035, the operational mechanisms enhancing military interoperability, and the geopolitical ripples affecting Russia's arms exports, China's containment anxieties, and ASEAN's delicate neutrality. The book confronts difficult questions: Does this pact signal India's drift from non-alignment toward alignment with U.S. containment strategies against China? Will technology transfer agreements deliver genuine co-production or entrench vendor lock-in? How will Pakistan, already allied with China, respond to this deepening India-U.S. nexus? Can India maintain strategic autonomy while accepting increasingly sophisticated U.S. military platforms? And what role do human rights concerns, trade tensions, and domestic politics play in shaping this defense relationship? Dr. Naim Tahir Baig brings both scholarly rigor and accessible prose to this critical examination, offering scenario modeling for future trajectories and policy recommendations for sustainable cooperation. As the Indo-Pacific becomes the world's strategic cockpit, understanding this defense pact is essential for anyone tracking the fault lines and power shifts that will define global security in the coming decades. "A masterful blend of historical analysis and forward-looking strategic assessment. Essential reading for understanding the future of Indo-Pacific security." — Advance Praise Key Features: Complete analysis of the October 31, 2025 framework agreement Examination of LEMOA, COMCASA, BECA foundational agreements Assessment of Quad, AUKUS, and minilateral architecture Economic projections and defense trade analysis China, Russia, and Pakistan response evaluation Scenario modeling for 2025-2035 trajectories Over 200 primary, secondary, and tertiary sources Extensive appendices with agreement excerpts and expert interviews Charts, tables, and visual aids for complex data