Navy Chief Admiral Tripathi begins 6-day trip to US

New Delhi | Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi on Wednesday embarked on a six-day visit to the US to boost bilateral naval ties with a larger aim to ensure a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific.

The Navy Chief's visit to the US comes amid continuing strain in ties between New Delhi and Washington after US President Donald Trump slapped a 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods in August.

The Indian Navy said Admiral Tripathi will hold talks with senior officials at the US Department of War and will meet Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command Admiral Samuel J Paparo and Commander of US Pacific Fleet Admiral Stephen T Koehler.

"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," it said.

The Navy said Admiral Tripathi's visit aims to further strengthen the robust and enduring maritime partnership between the Indian Navy and the US Navy.

"The visit by the Chief of Naval Staff underscores the Indian Navy's commitment to deepening cooperation with the US. Navy towards realising the vision of a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based Indo-Pacific," it said in a statement.

India and the US share a long-standing maritime partnership rooted in mutual trust, and shared values, it said.

Admiral Tripathi, during his November 12-17 trip, will also visit prominent American naval institutions and operational commands of the US 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," the Navy said.

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 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.