Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held two important bilateral meetings at Cebu, Philippines, on 28 October 2026, on the sidelines of the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus):
- with Japan's Minister of Defense, Shinjiro Koizumi;
- with the United States Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth.
In the same week, the frigate INS Sahyadri reached Busan, South Korea, on 26 October for a bilateral exercise with the Republic of Korea Navy.
Together, the three events show India's defence relations with its three most important partners in East Asia and the Pacific. For an NDA aspirant, each comes with the names of agreements, exercises and ships that the paper tests.
The meeting at Cebu
The Philippines, which chairs ASEAN in 2026, hosted the 20th ADMM and the 13th ADMM-Plus at the Mactan Expo Center in Lapu-Lapu City, on Mactan Island off Cebu. The 20th ADMM marks two decades since ASEAN's defence ministers first met in 2006.
ADMM is the meeting of ASEAN's defence ministers. ADMM-Plus adds eight partners: Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States. It was inaugurated in 2010. Its practical work is done by seven Experts' Working Groups, on subjects such as maritime security, counter-terrorism and disaster relief. We explained this structure when INS Sahyadri took part in an ADMM-Plus maritime security activity at Subic Bay in September.
Because China, the US, Russia and Japan all sit in ADMM-Plus, the forum itself sticks to non-controversial cooperation. The more substantive business happens in bilateral meetings on its margins, as it did this year.
A history note. Mactan Island is where the Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan, sailing for Spain, was killed in battle by the local chief Lapulapu in April 1521. Lapu-Lapu City is named after him.
India and Japan
What was discussed
The two ministers reviewed progress since they last met, in August 2026:
| Area | Progress noted |
|---|---|
| Maritime security | Talks on concrete cooperation, including mine countermeasures and possible joint development in naval shipbuilding and design, combining Japan's technology with India's production capacity |
| Air forces | Closer cooperation after Exercise "Veer Guardian 26", the first visit to India by fighter aircraft of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, and a visit by its Chief of Staff |
| Defence industry | An India-Japan Defence Industry Forum at the Indian Embassy in Tokyo, with about 40 companies |
| Next steps | Faster preparation for the 4th India-Japan "2+2" meeting of foreign and defence ministers, and a defence ministers' meeting, in Tokyo later this year |
Mine countermeasures means finding and clearing sea mines, which can close a harbour or a shipping lane at very low cost to the side laying them. It is a recognised gap in the Indian Navy's capability, and Japan has one of the most experienced mine-warfare forces in the world.
The framework
- Special Strategic and Global Partnership: the label since 2014.
- "2+2" ministerial dialogue: held in 2019 (New Delhi), 2022 (Tokyo) and 2024 (New Delhi). The next, the fourth, is due in Tokyo.
- Logistics agreement: the Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services Agreement, signed in 2020, lets each side's forces obtain fuel, supplies and services from the other on a reciprocal basis.
Exercises with Japan
| Exercise | Services |
|---|---|
| JIMEX | Navies |
| Dharma Guardian | Armies |
| Veer Guardian | Air forces (fighters) |
| Shinyuu Maitri | Air forces (transport aircraft) |
| Malabar | Navies of India, the US, Japan and Australia |
India and the United States
What was discussed
Rajnath Singh and Pete Hegseth reviewed the 10-year Framework for the India-US Major Defence Partnership. The two had signed it on 31 October 2025 at Kuala Lumpur, on the sidelines of the 12th ADMM-Plus. The Cebu meeting was therefore a review held almost exactly one year later. The main points:
- Counter-terrorism. Rajnath Singh called for zero tolerance towards nations that support, train or fund terrorist organisations. Hegseth reaffirmed US support to India against cross-border terrorism.
- Operations and industry. The two discussed operational readiness, technology sharing, co-production and integration of defence supply chains.
- Military contacts. They agreed to expand military-to-military exchanges and maritime security cooperation.
A note on the title: since September 2025 the US Department of Defense has also used the name "Department of War", and its head is styled Secretary of War.
The framework
| Step | Year |
|---|---|
| GSOMIA (protection of shared military information) | 2002 |
| Major Defence Partner status | 2016 |
| LEMOA (logistics exchange) | 2016 |
| Strategic Trade Authorisation Tier-1 status | 2018 |
| COMCASA (secure communications) | 2018 |
| BECA (geospatial cooperation) | 2020 |
| 10-year Defence Framework | 2025 |
The four agreements GSOMIA, LEMOA, COMCASA and BECA are called the "foundational agreements". LEMOA, COMCASA and BECA are the three most often asked, along with their order.
Exercises with the US
| Exercise | Services |
|---|---|
| Yudh Abhyas | Armies |
| Vajra Prahar | Special forces |
| Cope India | Air forces |
| Tiger Triumph | All three Services (amphibious and disaster-relief) |
| Malabar | Navies, with Japan and Australia |
INS Sahyadri at Busan
INS Sahyadri is a Shivalik-class guided-missile stealth frigate, built under Project 17 by Mazagon Dock in Mumbai and commissioned in 2012. The Navy describes it as "indigenously designed and built".
It arrived at Busan Naval Harbour on 26 October 2026 for the India-Republic of Korea Navy Bilateral Exercise:
- Harbour phase: professional discussions, visits to each other's ships, cross-training and sports.
- Sea phase: coordinated activities with the Korean destroyer ROKS Munmu the Great, a ship of the KDX-II class.
The deployment shows the reach of the Navy's Eastern Fleet. The same ship was at Subic Bay in the Philippines in September.
India and South Korea have had a Special Strategic Partnership since 2015. The best-known defence link is the K9 Vajra-T self-propelled howitzer, built for the Indian Army by Larsen & Toubro with South Korea's Hanwha, based on the Korean K9 Thunder.
Why the three meetings matter together
Japan and South Korea are both treaty allies of the United States. India is allied to none of the three, but has a strategic partnership with each. In one week, India reviewed its defence ties with all three, in or near the waters of the western Pacific.
The common phrase in India's statements was a "free, open and peaceful Indo-Pacific". The common subjects were maritime security, defence industry and counter-terrorism. That set of priorities is the core of India's defence diplomacy in the region.
Our notes on India's position in the Indian Ocean and the world's oceans and on the post-independence history of India's foreign relations give the background.
🔑 Revision block
The meeting. 13th ADMM-Plus (and 20th ADMM), hosted by the Philippines as ASEAN chair for 2026, at Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu. ADMM began in 2006, ADMM-Plus in 2010; eight Plus countries; seven Experts' Working Groups.
India-Japan (28 October). Rajnath Singh with Japan's Shinjiro Koizumi: mine countermeasures; possible joint naval shipbuilding and design; Veer Guardian 26, the first visit of JASDF fighters to India; Defence Industry Forum in Tokyo (~40 firms); 4th 2+2 due in Tokyo. Special Strategic and Global Partnership (2014); logistics agreement 2020.
India-US (28 October). Rajnath Singh with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth: review of the 10-year Framework, signed 31 October 2025 at Kuala Lumpur; zero tolerance for states backing terrorists; US support against cross-border terrorism. Major Defence Partner (2016); LEMOA 2016, COMCASA 2018, BECA 2020, GSOMIA 2002.
India-South Korea. INS Sahyadri (Shivalik-class, Project 17, MDL, 2012) at Busan from 26 October, exercising with ROKS Munmu the Great (KDX-II). Special Strategic Partnership (2015); K9 Vajra-T (L&T with Hanwha).
Exercises. Japan: JIMEX, Dharma Guardian, Veer Guardian, Shinyuu Maitri. US: Yudh Abhyas, Vajra Prahar, Cope India, Tiger Triumph. Both: Malabar (with Australia).
History. Magellan killed at Mactan by Lapulapu, 1521.
🎯 Practice MCQs
Q1. The 13th ADMM-Plus in October 2026 was hosted by: (a) the Philippines (b) Malaysia (c) Indonesia (d) Vietnam
→ (a) Malaysia hosted the 12th, at Kuala Lumpur in 2025; the Philippines chairs ASEAN in 2026.
Q2. "Dharma Guardian" is a bilateral exercise between the armies of India and: (a) the United States (b) South Korea (c) Japan (d) Australia
→ (c) The India-US army exercise is Yudh Abhyas.
Q3. The 10-year Framework for the India-US Major Defence Partnership was signed in October 2025 at: (a) Washington (b) New Delhi (c) Cebu (d) Kuala Lumpur
→ (d) It was signed on the sidelines of the 12th ADMM-Plus; the 2026 meeting at Cebu reviewed it.
Q4. Arrange the following India-US agreements in the order in which they were signed: 1. LEMOA 2. BECA 3. COMCASA (a) 1-3-2 (b) 3-1-2 (c) 1-2-3 (d) 2-3-1
→ (a) LEMOA 2016, COMCASA 2018, BECA 2020.
Q5. INS Sahyadri, which exercised with the Korean Navy at Busan in October 2026, belongs to the: (a) Kolkata class of destroyers (b) Shivalik class of frigates (c) Kamorta class of corvettes (d) Kalvari class of submarines
→ (b) The Shivalik-class stealth frigates were built under Project 17 at Mazagon Dock.
Q6. Consider the following statements about ADMM-Plus: 1. China and Russia are among its Plus countries. 2. It was inaugurated in 2006. Which is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
→ (a) ADMM began in 2006; ADMM-Plus was inaugurated in 2010.
Q7. India and Japan have described their relationship since 2014 as a: (a) Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (b) Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership (c) Global Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (d) Special Strategic and Global Partnership
→ (d) "Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership" describes India-Russia ties.
Q8. The K9 Vajra-T self-propelled howitzer of the Indian Army is based on a gun from: (a) South Korea (b) Japan (c) France (d) Israel
→ (a) It is built by Larsen & Toubro with Hanwha, based on the K9 Thunder.
Q9. The explorer Ferdinand Magellan was killed in 1521 on the island of: (a) Luzon (b) Mactan (c) Mindanao (d) Palawan
→ (b) He died fighting the forces of the local chief Lapulapu; the 2026 ADMM-Plus venue is in Lapu-Lapu City.
Q10. Which of the following exercises involves the navies of India, the United States, Japan and Australia? (a) JIMEX (b) Tiger Triumph (c) Malabar (d) Cope India
→ (c) JIMEX is India-Japan only; Tiger Triumph is India-US tri-service; Cope India is India-US air forces.
📋 How this gets asked (PYQ pattern)
Defence diplomacy appears in the NDA paper mainly through names, and four forms recur.
The first is the exercise-to-country question: Dharma Guardian, Yudh Abhyas, JIMEX, Malabar. The distractors are always other partners' exercises, so learn them partner by partner, as in the tables above.
The second is the agreement question: which India-US agreement covers logistics, communications or geospatial data, or their order. LEMOA, COMCASA and BECA are the core three.
The third is the forum question: what ADMM-Plus is, how many Plus countries it has, and how it differs from the ASEAN Regional Forum or the East Asia Summit.
The fourth is the ship question: which class a ship belongs to and where it was built. Shivalik, Kolkata, Kamorta and Kalvari are the standard options.
At the SSB, a lecturette or group discussion on "India's Indo-Pacific partnerships" can use this week as an example. The useful point is that India is allied to no one, yet works closely with the US, Japan and South Korea on maritime security, industry and counter-terrorism.
Preparing for NDA? Keep one page for each major defence partner, listing its exercises with India by Service, its agreements with years, and the partnership label. Build the base with our NDA study material, follow the daily NDA current affairs, and train with serving-standard faculty in the upcoming Cavalier courses in Delhi.
Source: PIB / Ministry of Defence, 28 October 2026. ADMM-Plus venue and history, the 2025 India-US framework, and partnership and agreement dates cross-checked with ASEAN and Philippine sources, earlier Ministry of Defence releases and independent reporting.
✍️ Written by Col Vijyanat Thakur — Veteran, Indian Army; SSB & defence-studies faculty at The Cavalier. Reviewed by the Cavalier Faculty Desk.