Trump signs defence policy bill enhancing US-India partnerships via Quad

The Hindu
The Hindu
1d ago
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The U.S. defense policy bill for 2026 promotes greater US-India cooperation through the Quad to counter China and strengthen allied defense industries.
Trump signs defence policy bill enhancing US-India partnerships via Quad
A What happened
Signed by President Trump, the National Defence Authorisation Act for Fiscal Year 2026 expands U.S. defence engagement with India through the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), confronting strategic challenges from China in the Indo-Pacific. The Act mandates increased bilateral and multilateral military exercises, defence trade, humanitarian aid coordination, and maritime security cooperation. It calls for a security initiative to bolster defence industrial bases among the U.S., India, Japan, Australia, South Korea, the Philippines, and New Zealand, focusing on supply chain security and operational resilience. A joint U.S.-India consultative mechanism will also monitor nuclear liability rules alignment and strategic diplomatic efforts to support India’s peaceful nuclear energy use.
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Key insights

  • 1

    Strategic balancing through expanded partnerships: The Act institutionalizes US efforts to deepen defence cooperation with India and regional allies to create a united front in the Indo-Pacific, counterbalancing China’s regional assertiveness.

  • 2

    Defence industrial base as a strategic asset: Linking defence alliances with industrial collaboration signals a shift from purely military coordination to integrated supply chains and capacity building among trusted partners.

  • 3

    Nuclear energy cooperation as a diplomatic lever: The focus on aligning nuclear liability rules under the US-India Strategic Security Dialogue highlights the use of nuclear energy collaboration as a tool for broader bilateral strategic engagement.

Takeaways

This defence authorization law marks a formal step toward deepening U.S.-India and regional defence collaboration through the Quad, aligning military and industrial strategies to address evolving Indo-Pacific security dynamics.

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