According to Reuters, India has put on hold its plans to procure new U.S. weapons and aircraft, marking the first tangible sign of strain in bilateral relations after President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Indian exports. The move comes as the two nations’ ties hit their lowest point in decades.
While Washington and New Delhi remain in discussions, one Indian official told Reuters that defence purchases could resume once there is clarity on the tariff situation and the broader direction of bilateral relations — but “just not as soon as they were expected to.” Another official noted that no formal written orders had been issued to halt the process, leaving room for a quick reversal. Still, there has been “no forward movement at least for now.”
Following the Reuters report, the Indian government issued a statement quoting a Ministry of Defence source calling news of a pause “false and fabricated,” and asserting that procurement is progressing as per “extant procedures.”
Reuters reported that discussions on India’s planned purchase of Stryker combat vehicles from General Dynamics Land Systems and Javelin anti-tank missiles from Raytheon and Lockheed Martin have been put on hold. Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced in February plans to jointly procure and produce these systems. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was also expected to announce the purchase of six Boeing P-8I reconnaissance aircraft and associated support systems for the Indian Navy — a deal valued at around $3.6 billion — during his now-cancelled U.S. trip, officials said. Talks on the aircraft procurement were reportedly in advanced stages.
Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and General Dynamics directed Reuters’ queries to the Indian and U.S. governments, while Raytheon did not respond.
The pause comes despite recent deepening of U.S.-India defence ties, driven largely by a shared strategic rivalry with China. Delhi, the world’s second-largest arms importer, has traditionally relied on Russia for military supplies, but in recent years has shifted toward Western suppliers like the U.S., France, and Israel. The change is partly due to Russia’s constrained export capacity amid its war in Ukraine, and the underperformance of some Russian systems on the battlefield, according to Western analysts.
One Indian official told Reuters that the broader security relationship — including intelligence sharing and joint military exercises — continues unaffected.