“India will play important role in partnership with America, its allies”, says US Navy Fleet Master Chief David Isom

Fleet Master Chief of the US Navy, David Isom, emphasised that India will play a very important role going forward in partnership with the US and all of its other partners and allies. David Isom said on February 23 that India has a really important role in helping protect those international commons.

Speaking to the media on India-US defence ties, he said, “The relationship continues to grow. I think India has a really important role in helping protect those international commons, the free and open Indo-Pacific, the freedom of commerce and the ability for all nations to have access to those open sea lanes.”

“I think India will play a very important role going forward in partnership with the US and all of our other partners and allies,” he added.

Moreover, he noted that partnerships are the way of the future and we continue to grow those partnerships, along with Australia, the UK, Canada, and France. We look forward to continuing to grow those relationships.

Meanwhile, Air Marshal Robert Chipman, Chief of the Air Force, Australia, stressed that the India-Australia relationship will get stronger in time.

“Relationship with India is kind of strength-to-strength, particularly between our Navy and Air Force…we think that it will get stronger in time,” Chipman said.

Chipman has been awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross (CSC) and Member of the Order of Australia (AM). While speaking about the Indo-Pacific, he highlighted the need to provide the right deterrence as tensions are rising in the region. “In the Indo-Pacific region, the tensions are rising, we need to provide the right deterrence… ,” he said.

Earlier on February 21, Australian Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Robert Chipman called on Vice Chief of Army Staff Upendra Dwivedi and discussed bilateral defence cooperation between both countries. He also called on the CAS Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari in the national capital. They both discussed issues of mutual interest and areas to enhance cooperation between the two air forces.

(with inputs from ANI)