India and the US on Wednesday discussed ways to take forward defence industrial and technology linkages as part of ongoing efforts to co-produce and co-develop high-end technologies.Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri held an interaction with US Under Secretary of Defence for Acquisition and Sustainment Mike Duffey at the Pentagon in Washington DC. The discussions took place even as IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh is on an official visit to the US.Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, in a post on X, said the meeting aimed at “advancing the India-US major defence partnership, focusing on co-production, sustainment and shared priorities in the Indo-Pacific”.The Indian Embassy in the US also said the two sides discussed ways to further deepen defence industrial, technology and supply chain linkages in line with the ambitious goals laid out in the framework for the bilateral major defence partnership signed last year.On Wednesday, the IAF Chief visited the Peterson Space Force Base. The IAF said the interaction involved “a productive exchange of perspectives on complex operational modalities, reflecting the strength of the growing partnership”.The meeting between Misri and the US Department of War official is the second such high-level engagement in less than three weeks. On March 25, the two countries held a Defence Policy Group meeting to discuss the way forward for co-production and co-development of advanced technologies.Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and US Under Secretary of Defence Elbridge Colby had also met in New Delhi, with both sides looking to accelerate momentum in defence cooperation.Colby had said the US was looking ahead to a critical new decade in its defence partnership with India, adding that while military equipment sales would expand, the potential for co-production and co-development with India was great possibility.These engagements come as India and the US move closer to finalising a deal for joint production of F414 fighter jet engines in India. The engines are expected to power the Tejas Mark 2 jets and the initial version of the advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA).The US has also expressed commitment to deepen cooperation in areas such as long-range precision fires, resilient logistics, maritime domain awareness, anti-submarine warfare and advanced technologies.The Framework for the US-India Major Defence Partnership was signed between US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in October last year.