Zero Loss of Momentum in India-US Defense Ties: US Senior Commander.
Washington: A senior US commander has said there is no loss of momentum in the India-US defense relationship despite the Ukraine crisis.
“All (bilateral and multilateral exercises) are on schedule with no impact. Malabar this year is on track. MILAN happened as advertised. Every single one of our efforts is on track with no loss of momentum,” Admiral Samuel said. Paparo, commander of the United States Pacific Fleet told a group of foreign journalists here.
At a roundtable organized by the Foreign Press Center here, the four-star commander of the US Pacific Fleet said that the momentum of India-US defense ties continues after the Ukraine crisis.
“In fact, the week of the invasion I was in Visakhapatnam at MILAN 22 where we were operating deep together and where we had a series of Quad events where Quad navies would get together and talk about our shared interests and our shared interests.” values moving forward, understanding that India is in a unique position based on its vestigial security arrangements,” he said in response to a question. Quad, which comprises Japan, India, Australia and the United States, is not an alliance but a grouping of countries driven by shared interests and values and interested in strengthening a rules-based order in the strategically important Indo-Pacific region.
The four countries had in 2017 shaped the long-pending proposal to establish the “Quad” or Quadrilateral coalition to counter China’s aggressive behavior in the Indo-Pacific region.
“I think there is understanding and appreciation, but not being able to speak on a political and diplomatic level, I will tell you that my commander’s guidance to… I have two commanders, Admiral Chris Aquilino and Admiral Mike Gilday. His guidance to me in In terms of finding opportunities to operate together and develop interoperability as capable, and this is not a part, a de jure part of the Quad itself, but it’s just normal partnership operations, it hasn’t lost momentum,” Admiral Paparo said.
“And the orientation for me hasn’t changed, which is to find deep means by which we can partner to develop the ability to come together quickly in the event that we join a coalition that requires combined operations,” the American said. the admiral said.
The Admiral said his own association with the Indian Navy and his own personal association with Admiral Radhakrishnan Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff.
Head of the Pacific fleet for a year, he said that during this year despite the COVID-19 restrictions, he traveled to Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Philippines and India. He is shortly scheduled for a trip to Singapore, Thailand and Australia in the coming weeks.
Responding to a question about the Biden administration’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, he said he had never seen greater convergence between the United States and Japan within the alliance in terms of carrying out the strategy and actions to be taken.
Admiral Paparo said he is wary of some of the security-oriented operations along the Belt and Road and the Pearl Necklace.
“I am equally cautious about the debt trap elements of the Belt and Road Initiatives and the extent to which they can later be exploited for exclusive security deals,” he said.
“As you know, the Indian Ocean is key geography in the world, with much of the world’s trade traveling through the Indian Ocean, and as such, it is a key hub for global trade, global creativity and population.
Always I’m wary of these arrangements, as we’ve seen in Hambantota, as we’ve seen in Gwadar, as we’ve seen in Djibouti. And that always strikes me as alarming,” he added.