U.S. Space Command chief touts U.S.-India space cooperation on Indo-Pacific visit

Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of U.S. Space Command, visited the Indo-Pacific area of responsibility from March 3-8 to take part in the 2026 Raisina Dialogue and meet leaders from U.S. and Indian government and private industry.

Arriving amid Holi festivities, Whiting joined U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor and Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau for a tour of the Swaminarayan Akshardham temple in New Delhi.

Whiting later met with Gor to discuss the growing U.S.-India partnership in space, citing joint efforts such as the Axiom-4 mission and the NASA–Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite, while exploring further avenues for security cooperation.

He participated in a commercial roundtable hosted by the Indian Space Association (ISpA) with more than a dozen industry leaders. The session focused on deepening integration between the countries’ defense industrial bases under the 10-year U.S.-India defense framework and advancing assured access to space.

At the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff, Whiting met General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff of the Indian Armed Forces, and Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee. Discussions covered bilateral issues, evolving security dynamics in space, and opportunities to expand collaboration, including joint exercises that incorporate the space domain.

ISRO hosted Whiting for talks on operationalizing its Space Situational Awareness data-sharing agreement with U.S. Space Command. ISRO also outlined plans to launch its first multi-crewed mission in 2027 carrying several astronauts, positioning India to become the fourth nation to launch humans independently.

On March 7 at the Raisina Dialogue, Whiting joined a fireside chat moderated by Dr. Harsh Pant on “The New Race in Space,” aligned with the conference theme of “Assertion, Accommodation, and Advancement.” The conversation examined how space has evolved into a strategic domain where military, civil, commercial, and scientific missions intersect. “I think in in any domain, anywhere around the world, it is a balance of both [competition and collaboration],” Whiting said. “Even up to today, we’ve seen that [space] is a place that great powers are competing, but it’s an incredible area for cooperation as well. We’ve seen that over the years, and certainly in the United States, we have a rich number of partners and allies that we operate together in space.”

Whiting referenced the 10-year defense framework signed by India and the United States in 2025 to deepen military cooperation and enhance interoperability. “[The framework] calls out a number of areas where we want to continue to deepen the strategic partnership,” he said. “And space is one of those.”

The 2026 forum, held annually in New Delhi and marking its 11th iteration, brought together international leaders for discussions on geopolitics and geoeconomics. This year’s U.S. delegation was led by Deputy Secretary Landau.

Later, in a conversation with Palki Sharma on the “Ideas Pod” show, Whiting emphasized the importance of space-based capabilities for both military operations and the global economy, and underscored the advantages of working with like-minded partners to secure future space operations. “Each nation is responsible within some international law,” Whiting said, citing the 1967 Outer Space Treaty principles, which includes that states shall be responsible for national space activities whether carried out by governmental or non-governmental entities. “And the United States wants to model those professional and safe behaviors that help us to understand when we are operating that way, when like-minded nations are operating that way,” he continued. “We think the partnerships that we have with international nations like India and others are really a strength of the United States,” Whiting said.

Across the visit, engagements underscored the strengthening U.S.-India defense relationship, the central role of space capabilities in national protection priorities, and the value of partnerships across operational domains to bolster deterrence and pursue stability.