Washington, Nov 15 (NationPress) Indian Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi engaged in a series of significant dialogues with senior US military leaders, marking a pivotal step in bolstering maritime collaboration between the two countries.

He conferred with Admiral Samuel J Paparo, the Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral Stephen T Koehler, Commander of the US Pacific Fleet, and Lieutenant General James F Glynn, Commander of US Marine Forces Pacific.

These interactions reaffirmed the lasting alliance between the Indian Navy and US Navy, as well as the growing synergy with the US Marine Corps and joint forces, grounded in mutual trust, shared principles, and a collective commitment to a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based Indo-Pacific, as stated by the Indian Navy's spokesperson on X this past Saturday.

The discussions highlighted essential components of India-US defense cooperation, concentrating on fortifying maritime security, enhancing interoperability, and broadening operational engagement opportunities throughout the Indo-Pacific.

Priority areas of mutual maritime interest were also examined, including improved information sharing and maritime domain awareness, utilizing frameworks such as the Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) and connections with the Information Fusion Centre in the Indian Ocean Region.

The parties also considered strategies to protect sea lines of communication and vital underwater infrastructure, while enhancing coordinated responses for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), Search and Rescue (SAR)

Plans for conducting increasingly complex and regular bilateral and multilateral exercises were also discussed, including MALABAR, PASSEX, and initiatives under the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) and MILAN framework, aimed at refining joint warfighting, logistics, and sustainment capabilities.

Both naval forces explored collaborative opportunities in emerging domains such as unmanned systems, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), cyber operations, and space-enabled maritime missions to enhance readiness and resilience at sea.

CNS Tripathi is currently visiting the US from November 12-17, with the goal of fostering the strong and lasting maritime partnership between the Indian and US navies, which is a crucial element of the Defense Partnership between the two nations.

The Indian Navy stated ahead of his visit, “India and the United States share a long-standing maritime partnership rooted in mutual trust and shared values. The visit by CNS underscores the Indian Navy's commitment to deepening cooperation with the US Navy towards realizing the vision of a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based Indo-Pacific.”