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| India-Pakistan |
| 'India, US aligned in maintaining open access to sea' says CINCPACFLT |
| 2006-09-26 |
| Washington, Sept. 26 (PTI): Maintaining free and open access to the sea is an important and critical challenge and in this regard the navies of India and the United States are "very closely aligned", Admiral Gary Roughead,the Commander of the American Pacific Fleet, said. Speaking at the Washington Foreign Press Center, he said: "One of the reasons we have been very effective in operating together and looking to the future is because we see the challenges that we face on the Oceans, on the sea lanes and the importance of keeping those open". The top American Navy official was recently in India. He said discussions with his counterparts were comprehensive that included future operations, exercises and exchanges. "I remain very impressed with the Indian Navy", he said. There was a highly personal element to the Admiral's visit to India recently- he wanted to track down the house he lived in as a youngster in Mumbai. "I went to visit my house and I found it. It was wonderful to go back eventhough I was a young boy. Many memories came floating back" Admiral Roughead recalled even while making the point that his former house is no longer in the remote area of Mumbai it once was. "Mumbai has expanded so much. There is so much energy" he commented. The Commander of the Pacific Fleet was all praise for the fashion in which the Malabar exercises were going and said that this series of exercises will not only continue but also look at the prospect of advancing these. For example this year the Admiral pointed out India and the United States will be doing some expeditionary warfare training which takes on additional significance because the United States is transferring one of its amphibious ships to India-the USS Trenton. The USS Trenton, the Admiral explained, will give capability to the Indian Navy to move troops and equipment to great distances and having the ability to remaining off shore for a prolonged period of time and in the ability as well of moving smaller boats in and out. The transfer is expected to take place sometime this December. "Apart from Malabar exercises, we are also looking at exercises at a more short term notice which I think navies that are as capable as the Indian Navy and the US Navy we can do that. In fact we did that with aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan at short notice" Admiral Roughead remarked going on to praise the role of an Indian medical team of about 19 persons getting on board USNS Mercy at very short notice when it was recently in South and South East Asia. Admiral Roughead also expressed the hope that Indian Navy Observers could come and watch the Rim of the Pacific Exercises off Hawaii. "I am hopeful that the Indian Navy could perhaps join us and conduct an exercise perhaps in 2008", the Pacific Fleet Commander said. "It is so apparent that our two navies share so many common interests and see the world in much the same way and are committed to maintaining safe and secure sea lanes, and safe and secure oceans so that we can get to enjoy prosperity that is vitally so important", he said. The Pacific Fleet Commander emphasized the criticality of all navies to be willing to operate and participate in ways to build the "Maritime Demand Awareness" that not only has the ability to share information so that navies in the region have a better sense of ensuring the sea lanes of communications but also the ability of navies to "collectively" gather for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. |
| Posted by:john |