Aircraft carriers USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan

USS Nimitz is already present in the Indian Ocean, where it arrived via the Malacca Strait.

US Navy's USS Nimitz, the world's largest warship is likely to have rendezvous with the Indian Navy off the coast of Andaman and Nicobar islands. 

Nimitz is already present in the Indian Ocean, where it arrived via the Malacca Strait. The strait, a narrow stretch between Malaysia and Indonesia is a crucial global chokepoint from which considerable global oil flows to the rest of Asia, including China.

The likely India-US rendezvous could happen on the lines of exercise that India had with the Japanese Naval forces at the end of June. The India-Japan naval exercises were termed "Passex" or passing exercises.

The development comes amidst an aggressive China, ramping up actions in the global arena. Last month saw India and China in a violent face after "Chinese side took pre-meditated and planned action that was directly responsible for the resulting violence and casualties" according to the Union Ministry of External Affairs.

Nimitz aircraft carrier is coming from the South China Sea and was part of wargames along with USS Theodore Roosevelt.

Both conducted dual-carrier operations in the Philippine Sea which, according to the US Navy, was to "demonstrate our commitment to regional allies, our ability to rapidly mass combat power in the Indo-Pacific, and our readiness to confront all those who challenge international norms that support regional stability.”

The development is also significant given the increased Chinese presence in the Indian ocean. China has its only overseas military base in Djibouti in the horn of Africa, located strategically at the mouth of crucial sea lanes connecting the Suez Canal, the Gulf of Aden, and the wider Indian ocean.

Meanwhile, it looks like a significant possibility that Australia may join India, the US, and Japan for the Malabar exercise, which is expected to happen later this year. All four countries already have a working arrangement called Quad whose foreign ministers met last year.