INDIA. Mumbai: On Wednesday, a ten-member US Navy delegation led by Rear Admiral Leonard C ‘Butch’ Dollaga, Commander Submarine Group VII, paid a visit to the Western Naval Command (HQWNC) in Mumbai.
Consul General David J Ranz of the United States Consulate in Mumbai accompanied the delegation.
During his visit, Rear Admiral Dollaga met with Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C), Western Naval Command, and discussed maritime issues of mutual interest, with a focus on the two navies’ growing cooperation.
US Navy delegation visit
The US Navy (USN) delegation’s visit was part of the follow-up activities to the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) discussions held in October 2020, where a consensus was reached to explore cooperation in the field of Underwater Domain Awareness (UDA) with a formal agreement between the two sides.
The USN delegation presented several options for advancing cooperation in the niche field of UDA and strengthening the Indo-US comprehensive global strategic partnership. According to a Defence spokesman, Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, Chief of Staff, HQWNC, led the discussion on the Indian side, where various aspects of cooperation in the field of UDA were deliberated.
Major agreements signed between India and USA since 2014 include the Defence Framework Agreement (DFA), BECA, General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), Communication Compatibility and Security Arrangements (COMCASA), and the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA).
During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States in June 2016, the United States granted India ‘Major Defence Partner Status,’ which institutionalised defence trade and technology sharing with India on par with the United States’ closest allies and partners.
In 2018, India was elevated to Strategic Trade Authorisation Tier 1 status, which allows India to receive license-free access to a wide range of military and dual-use technologies regulated by the Department of Commerce.
In September 2021, in a meeting with US President Joe Biden and Modi, Biden reaffirmed the US’ “unwavering commitment” to India as a Major Defence Partner through close engagements, including information sharing and strengthening cooperation in advanced military technologies.
The leaders also welcomed the deepening of advanced industrial cooperation and noted the project to co-develop air-launched unmanned aerial vehicles under the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative, and encouraged more such joint efforts.
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