Rajnath Singh raises concerns over US F-16 package for Pakistan with Hegseth

India has raised concerns over the United States’ military support for Pakistan’s F-16 fighter fleet, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh warning that sensitive American military technology supplied to Islamabad could be passed on to a third country, officials said.

Singh raised the issue during a meeting with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Cebu, the Philippines, on Wednesday.

According to officials, Singh expressed concern over a recent $686 million package for Pakistan’s F-16 fleet and cautioned that the transfer of advanced technology could pose security risks for India. The possibility of Pakistan sharing US-supplied technology with a third country was a particular concern, they said, in an apparent reference to China.

The discussions also covered the progress of the 10-year India-US Defence Framework, which the two countries signed to deepen defence cooperation. Both sides reviewed opportunities to expand military technology cooperation, information sharing, joint production, military exchanges and maritime security collaboration.

Terrorism also featured prominently in the talks. Singh stressed that the international community should adopt a zero-tolerance approach towards countries that support, train or finance terrorist organisations.

Hegseth reaffirmed Washington’s support for India in its fight against cross-border terrorism, according to the Defence Ministry.