India has raised concerns with the United States over American support for Pakistan's F-16 fighter fleet, during talks between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in Cebu, Philippines, on Wednesday. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus, which the Philippines is hosting from 28 to 29 October.

According to reports citing officials, Singh flagged a recently approved US support and modernisation package for Pakistan's F-16 aircraft. Reports differ on the package's value, with some putting it at $686 million and others at $649 million, so the figure should be treated as reported rather than settled. India Defence Wire reports that the most recent large package was notified to the US Congress in December 2025 and covers items including Link-16 data links, cryptographic equipment, avionics upgrades, training and logistics support, intended to keep the fleet in service until 2040.

Technology-transfer worry

Singh cautioned that sensitive American technology supplied to Pakistan could potentially reach third countries, reports said. Officials cited in the coverage described that warning as a veiled reference to China, given Pakistan's close defence ties with Beijing. India has long questioned US military assistance to Pakistan, including the possible use of American-supplied F-16s against India.

Wider defence partnership reviewed

The two ministers also reviewed progress under the India-US Major Defence Partnership and the ten-year defence framework signed a year ago, covering military technology, information sharing, co-production, maritime security and resilient defence supply chains. On counterterrorism, Singh called for a zero-tolerance approach towards countries that support, train or finance terrorist organisations, and Hegseth reaffirmed Washington's support for India in fighting cross-border terrorism. Sources: India Defence Wire and Firstpost Vantage.