ADMIRAL MICHAEL Gilday of the US Navy and a high-level US delegation visited the headquarters of the Western Naval Command at Mumbai on Friday and interacted with Vice-Admiral R Hari Kumar, who heads the western naval command.
He discussed avenues to strengthen the growing cooperation between the two nations and the navies to deal with challenges emerging on the maritime front and enhance collaboration and interoperability to ensure maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region, a press release from the Indian Navy said.
Gilday was provided with a broad overview of regional security dynamics and the operational responses of the Western Naval Command in recent times, particularly those related to delivering humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to friendly foreign countries, counter-piracy operations, enhancing maritime safety and security in the region, and strengthening foreign cooperation with special emphasis on Indo-US co-operation.
He was also appraised of the crucial role played by Indian naval ships through Operation Samudra Setu II in bringing home medical oxygen to mitigate shortfalls in the country and strengthen its battle against Covid-19.
Gilday addressed officers of the Western Naval Command, Southern Naval Command and various training establishments of the Indian Navy through video conference on the ‘Future of Warfare’.
The US Navy chief said, “Beneath us were no dividing lines … no national borders or walls separating people. There was only landscape… and the blue hue of the oceans upon which we sit… So, it struck me as I was coming here… how close and interconnected we all are today. Vast distances that once divided us are now strongly intertwined… and it is the “blue†that connects all of us. Indeed, our economies, our values, and our cultures are more attached to the sea than ever before. Many of us in this room have seen it with our own eyes.â€
