Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], February 20 (ANI): Admiral Samuel J. Paparo, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, visited India from February 14-19, to collaborate on the India-US shared security interests and to strengthen the nations' close military ties, an official statement from the US Indo-Pacific Command noted on Thursday.

As per the statement, the visit to New Delhi, Chandimandir and Bengaluru underscored India's vital role in advancing regional security and strengthened military interoperability across land, sea, air, space and cyberspace domains. While in New Delhi, Admiral Paparo met with senior Indian defence officials, including General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff, and Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff. These discussions centred on areas of mutual interest, including India's contributions to safeguarding a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

As part of the visit, the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (APCSS) and its director, Suzanne P. Vares-Lum, hosted an alumni event in New Delhi, bringing together Indian graduates of APCSS programs. The event provided a platform for alumni to exchange ideas, strengthen professional networks, and explore collaborative solutions to regional security challenges.

In Chandimandir, Admiral Paparo visited India's Western Command alongside U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor to discuss operational security dynamics along India's western and northern fronts, the statement added.

Admiral Paparo concluded the trip in Bengaluru with visits to the Aeronautical Development Agency and National Flight Test Center, highlighting expanding defence industrial collaboration and aerospace innovation.

As per the statement, Admiral Paparo also met with US and Indian industry and technology leaders to advance cooperation in emerging domains. Alongside Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade William Kimmitt, he participated in a US-India Strategic Partnership Forum event focused on defence and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, expanded cooperation among Quad partners and the recently signed 10-year defence framework.

The statement noted that the United States designated India a Major Defence Partner in 2016, building on the 2013 Joint Principles for Defence Cooperation. On Oct. 31, 2025, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh signed the 2025 Framework for the U.S.-India Major Defence Partnership at the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, establishing the most ambitious and wide-ranging update to the defence relationship to date and guiding cooperation for the next decade.

As a key Quad partner, India, United States, Japan and Australia work together to strengthen maritime, economic and technology security in response to growing regional challenges.

The statement noted that recently, the Quad participated in a field training exercise that advanced the Indo-Pacific Logistics Network (IPLN), enhancing regional cooperation and operational readiness.

It added that the US conducts regular military engagements across all services with India to enhance readiness and interoperability. Exercises like Malabar, Cyber Flag, Tiger Triumph, Yudh Abhyas, and Cope India improve operational effectiveness in high-end scenarios.

USINDOPACOM is committed to enhancing stability in the Indo-Pacific region by promoting security cooperation, encouraging peaceful development, responding to contingencies, deterring aggression, and when necessary, prevailing in conflict, the statement underlined. (ANI)