India offers radars and air defence systems to ASEAN to deepen military ties

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated on Wednesday that India is prepared to expand military cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations by supplying patrol vessels, radars, air defence systems, helicopters, and drones. Speaking at the inaugural ASEAN-India Defence Think Tank Forum in New Delhi, Singh emphasized that regional security requires collective capacity-building, adherence to international law, and open dialogue channels.

The two-day forum, hosted at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, brings together researchers and policy experts from India and the eleven ASEAN member states. The discussions focus on practical measures for maritime security, counter-drone systems, and joint defence industrial frameworks.

Singh noted that India envisions an Indo-Pacific where nations of all sizes retain the autonomy to make independent choices and pursue peaceful development. He cautioned that regional stability faces multifaceted pressures from terrorism, cyber threats, maritime piracy, illicit trafficking, and climate-induced disasters, which demand coordinated multilateral responses.

Moving beyond conventional equipment sales, the Defence Minister proposed establishing robust partnerships centred on co-development, co-production, maintenance, repair, and long-term technical support. He stated that self-reliance does not mean operating in isolation, adding that trusted regional partners can design, build, and sustain military hardware collaboratively.

Highlighting recent conflict trends where lower-cost unmanned systems challenge expensive defensive setups, Singh called for affordable and adaptable technological solutions. He invited regional innovators, start-ups, and academic institutions to engage through existing Indian frameworks such as Innovations for Defence Excellence and the Technology Development Fund.

With 2026 marked as the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation, the ministry reiterated the necessity of sharing maritime domain awareness, improving navy and coast guard interoperability, and safeguarding critical sea lanes. Singh maintained that regional arrangements should allow nations to cooperate freely without being compelled to align with specific power blocs.

The conference continues through Thursday, with delegates expected to formulate joint research agendas and identify pilot projects covering cyber defence, space-based monitoring, and disaster response.