Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh met Admiral Samuel Paparo, Commander of the United States Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), in New Delhi on Tuesday, 6 October 2026, to explore ways of deepening India-US defence and strategic cooperation and exchange perspectives on regional and global developments. The high-level engagement underscores the growing momentum behind the US-India Major Defence Partnership.

What Was Discussed

The two sides covered a broad strategic agenda, including harnessing digital transformation and emerging technologies, maintaining regional strategic stability in the Indo-Pacific, strengthening defence energy resilience, and navigating an increasingly competitive technology landscape. The Ministry of Defence confirmed the meeting, noting that both sides 'discussed strengthening India-US defence and strategic cooperation and exchanged views on regional and global issues.'

Notably, this meeting follows Admiral Paparo's broader engagements with Indian leadership a day earlier, signalling the depth and urgency the US is attaching to the bilateral defence relationship.

Senior Indian Leadership Joins the Engagement

On Monday, 5 October, Admiral Paparo met several of India's most senior defence officials, including Chief of Defence Staff General N. S. Raja Subramani, Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth, Vice Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, and Chief of Integrated Defence Staff Air Marshal Tejinder Singh. US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor described the occasion as 'an evening highlighting the growing strength, ambition, and importance of the US-India Major Defence Partnership.'

Ambassador Gor also noted that Admiral Paparo commands the United States' oldest and largest geographic combatant command, overseeing approximately 400,000 military and civilian personnel across a region spanning roughly half the globe — a detail that underlines the strategic weight of the visit.

Jaishankar Flags Maritime Cooperation

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also received Admiral Paparo, with the two discussing advancing the security partnership and maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. 'Glad to meet Commander of the US Pacific Command, Admiral Samuel J. Paparo. Discussed advancing our security partnership and maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific,' Jaishankar posted on X.

The EAM's involvement signals that the visit is being treated as a diplomatic as well as defence milestone, bridging the foreign policy and military tracks of the bilateral relationship.

Context and Significance

Admiral Paparo arrived in New Delhi on 3 October for a six-day official visit — one of the most substantive engagements by a US Pacific Command chief in recent memory. This comes amid sustained efforts by both countries to institutionalise their defence ties through frameworks such as the iCET (Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies), the BECA and COMCASA foundational agreements, and ongoing co-production discussions in defence manufacturing.

'From emerging technology to maritime security, the United States and India are building a defence partnership equipped to meet the challenges of the future,' the US Embassy in India said in a statement, encapsulating the visit's overarching theme.

What Comes Next

With both nations aligning on shared threats — from maritime domain awareness in the Indo-Pacific to supply-chain security in critical technologies — the next steps are likely to involve formal working groups on digital defence and energy resilience. Observers will watch for any specific co-development or co-production announcements that may follow the visit's conclusions.