India has significantly enhanced defence cooperation with the US over the last few years. Both sides had continued to maintain strong military ties despite months of tensions over tariffs.India and the US on Wednesday jointly reviewed various ongoing initiatives, identified priority areas for co-development and co-production of defence equipment, while reaffirming their commitment to enhancing military-to-military cooperation through joint exercises, training visits and strategic exchanges, the Ministry of Defence said in a post on X.It said that the 18th India-US Defence Policy Group meeting was held in New Delhi and Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and US Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby co-chaired the talks.“Both sides reviewed ongoing initiatives, identified priority areas for co-development and co-production of defence equipment, and reaffirmed commitment to enhancing military-to-military cooperation through joint exercises, training visits and strategic exchanges,” the post stated.The meeting and Colby’s visit to India come amid the ongoing West Asia conflict. Within days of the war, a US submarine had sunk IRIS Dena, an Iranian warship, close to the Sri Lankan coast.US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, who was also present in the meeting, posted on X: “Our work today turns leaders’ commitments into concrete progress-deepening our Major Defense Partnership, expanding joint production and information sharing, and advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific for both our nations.”On Tuesday, Colby, while speaking at the Ananta Aspen Centre in New Delhi, said the US and India do not need to agree on everything to cooperate effectively. “What matters is that our interests and objectives increasingly converge on the most fundamental issues. Differences and even disputes are fully compatible with deepening alignment and cooperation on strategic matters,” he had said, while adding that “the roots of our partnership are deeper than optics and more durable than superficial comity; they are, rather, thickly embedded in lasting strategic mutual self-interest.”Colby also met Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on the sidelines of the India-US Defence Policy Group meeting on Wednesday.Story continues below this adThe MEA in a post on X said both Misri and Colby exchanged views on advancing bilateral defence cooperation, regional security, and further strengthening the strategic partnership.In a post, Jaishankar said both sides exchanged views on the current geopolitical scenario.India has significantly enhanced defence cooperation with the US over the last few years. Both sides had continued to maintain strong military ties despite months of tensions over tariffs.Last month, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) had cleared a major procurement proposal –that of six additional P8I maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft– from the US.Story continues below this adLast month, Admiral Samuel J. Paparo Jr., Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command had said that the security relationship between India and the US has experienced a “steeply upward trajectory”, driven by exigencies arising from greater security threats and a changing technology environment. Amrita Nayak Dutta writes on defence and national security as part of the national bureau of The Indian Express. In the past, Amrita has extensively reported on the media industry and broadcasting matters, urban affairs, bureaucracy and government policies. In the last 14 years of her career, she has worked in newspapers as well as in the online media space and is well versed with the functioning of both newsrooms. Amrita has worked in the northeast, Mumbai and Delhi. She has travelled extensively across the country, including in far-flung border areas, to bring detailed reports from the ground and has written investigative reports on media and defence. She has been working for The Indian Express since January 2023. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Ministry of Defence