‘Cooperation Continues’: US Defence, Boeing Officials To Visit India Next Week For Talks On P-8I Aircraft

Last Updated:September 10, 2025, 20:10 IST

Sources said defence cooperation between New Delhi and Washington will continue despite reports in the media claiming that India may put a pause on plans to purchase US arms

IAF’s P-8i flanked by MIG-29 and Hawk MK-132 planes fly past in Varuna formation during the inauguration of the 15th edition of Aero India 2025 at Yelahanka Airbase in Bengaluru. (Image: PTI/File)

In a sign that defence is an “important pillar of bilateral ties” between the two countries, officials from the US Department of Defense and Boeing will be visiting India next week to hold discussions over additional procurement of the P-8I aircraft, sources told News18.

According to the sources, defence cooperation between India and the United States will continue despite reports in the media claiming that India is planning to put a pause on its purchase of US arms.

The ongoing tariff tussle notwithstanding, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said he will speak to US President Donald Trump, and that the two countries are working to conclude trade negotiations at the earliest.

“I am confident that our trade negotiations will pave the way for unlocking the limitless potential of the India-US partnership,” Modi said in a post on social media platform X.

This bodes well for India-US ties with defence and Boeing soon set to take forward discussions on additional P-8I aircraft. On September 8 (Monday), Reuters reported that the Centre has paused plans to buy US Arms, following which the ministry of defence denied the report. 

The report said the Government of India has halted its purchase of six P-8I aircraft from American manufacturer Boeing. The same day, the defence ministry rejected it saying the report is “false and fabricated and further clarified that the various cases of procurement are progressing as per extant procedure”.

Reuters reported that India is pausing talks to purchase Stryker combat vehicles, Javelin missiles and some Boeing planes amid the tariff dispute after the defence minister cancelled his scheduled trip to Washington DC. Officials told the news agency that deals could be finalised but New Delhi wants clarity on tariffs and bilateral relations.

There has been growing tensions in India-US ties after the Trump administration imposed a 50 percent tariff on Indian goods as punishment for New Delhi’s purchases of Russian crude oil, which Washington has justified as the country funding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This tariff is among the highest of any US trading partner.

Despite the strain in relations between the two countries, India has said the future of a relationship with the US will be based on “mutual respect and shared interests”, highlighting that one of these was the defence agreements between them.

“The India-US defence partnership, underpinned by foundational defence agreements, is an important pillar of the bilateral partnership. This robust cooperation has strengthened across all domains,” external affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal has said last month at a press conference.  

Jaiswal had said India and the US share a “comprehensive global strategic partnership anchored in shared interests, democratic values, and robust people-to-people ties”.

“…This partnership has weathered several transitions and challenges. We remain focused on the substantive agenda that our two countries have committed to and we hope that the relationship will continue to move forward based on mutual respect and shared interests,” Jaiswal said.

He had enumerated the upcoming defence-related collaborations between the two countries, including a visit by a defence policy team and a joint military exercise in Alaska.

About the Author

Siddhant Mishra

Siddhant Mishra is a Senior Special Correspondent at CNN-News18, covering foreign affairs and international relations. With over 12 years of experience in journalism, he has also reported extensively on crime, …Read More

Siddhant Mishra is a Senior Special Correspondent at CNN-News18, covering foreign affairs and international relations. With over 12 years of experience in journalism, he has also reported extensively on crime, … Read More

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