Washington, DC – The second annual U.S.-India Advanced Domains Defense Dialogue (AD3) took place at the Pentagon yesterday (May 23). This significant event saw the convergence of top defense officials from the United States and India, led by Dr. Vipin Narang, the Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy, and Mr. Vishwesh Negi, India’s Joint Secretary for International Cooperation.
The dialogue continued the commitment made by the U.S. Secretary of Defense and the Indian Minister of Defense during the 2022 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue. This commitment aimed to deepen collaboration on evolving and emerging defense domains, particularly in the realm of space. Dr. Narang and Mr. Negi’s discussions centered on enhancing space cooperation and identifying new opportunities for collaboration with U.S. industry.
A notable highlight of this year’s AD3 was the first-ever principal-level tabletop discussion between the two nations. Co-chaired by Dr. Narang and Mr. Negi, this session brought together a select group of U.S. and Indian defense officials to explore potential areas for strengthened cooperation in the space domain. The discussions were productive, and both parties agreed to advance AD3 through regular working group discussions, ensuring ongoing dialogue and progress.
The Indian Government delegation’s visit to the U.S. also included engagements with several key entities. They met with U.S. Space Command to discuss strategic space operations, the Joint Commercial Operations Cell to explore commercial space opportunities, and experts in artificial intelligence from across the U.S. Department of Defense to understand the latest advancements in AI and its applications in defense.
This year’s AD3 not only reinforced the strong defense partnership between the United States and India but also paved the way for future cooperation in space, underlining the shared commitment to exploring and securing the final frontier together.
