India and the US will review the entire gamut of their robust defence ties during Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi’s visit to the US from November 12-17, defence ministry said on Wednesday.
The visit aims to strengthen further the enduring maritime partnership between the Indian Navy and the United States Navy, a key pillar of the India–US Defence Partnership.
During the visit, Admiral Tripathi is scheduled to hold discussions with senior officials of the U.S. Department of War. He will also meet Admiral Samuel J. Paparo, Commander, United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), and Admiral Stephen T. Koehler, Commander, United States Pacific Fleet (USPACFLT), besides other senior naval leadership and dignitaries.
These interactions will provide an opportunity to review ongoing maritime cooperation, enhance operational-level linkages, and strengthen mechanisms for information sharing and maritime domain awareness between the two navies.
The visit will also include engagements with key naval institutions and operational commands of the U.S. Navy. Discussions are expected to focus on shared maritime priorities in the Indo-Pacific, collaboration within multilateral frameworks such as, Milan and the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) initiatives.
Milan is a biennial multilateral naval exercise hosted by the Indian Navy. The next edition of Milan will be held in February and over 50 navies are expected to participate in it. The CMF is a multinational naval partnership of over 40 nations that promotes maritime security.
The Navy chief's visit to the US comes at a time when navies of India, the US, Australia and Japan are carrying out the annual Malabar exercise in the Northern Pacific.
The annual wargame includes both sea and harbor phases with a focus on expanding cooperation in the Indo-Pacific that has been witnessing growing military muscle flexing by China.
The Malabar exercise began in 1992 as a bilateral naval drill between the US and the Indian Navy. Over the years, it has evolved into a key four-nation exercise aimed at enhancing interoperability, fostering mutual understanding, and addressing shared maritime challenges.
India and the United States share a long-standing maritime partnership rooted in mutual trust, and shared values. The Navy chief’s visit underscores the Indian Navy’s commitment to deepening cooperation with the U.S. Navy towards realising the vision of a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based Indo-Pacific.
