Admiral Samuel J. Paparo, Commander of the US Pacific Command, has arrived in India for a six-day official visit from October 3 to 8 as Washington and New Delhi seek to further strengthen their Major Defence Partnership and enhance military-to-military cooperation across the Indo-Pacific.

During the visit, Admiral Paparo is scheduled to hold discussions with senior officials from the Ministry of Defence and the Indian Armed Forces on shared security priorities and evolving strategic challenges in the region.

Key areas of engagement will include digital transformation, emerging critical technologies, regional strategic stability and measures to strengthen defence energy resilience. Both sides are also expected to discuss approaches to managing an increasingly competitive global technology landscape.

The visit reflects the growing strategic convergence between India and the United States, particularly in areas such as maritime security, advanced technologies, military interoperability and Indo-Pacific stability.

In a statement, the US Embassy said that the two countries are building a defence partnership capable of addressing future challenges across domains ranging from emerging technologies to maritime security.

The high-level engagement follows a series of recent military and diplomatic interactions aimed at expanding bilateral defence cooperation and aligning approaches towards regional security challenges in the Indo-Pacific.

It comes soon after the successful completion of the 22nd edition of Exercise Yudh Abhyas on September 27, when Indian and American troops concluded nearly three weeks of intensive joint training designed to improve operational coordination and interoperability.

Last month, Indian Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth and Lieutenant General Joel B. Vowell, Deputy Commanding General of the United States Army Pacific, held strategic discussions in New Delhi focused on the evolving Indo-Pacific security environment and opportunities to deepen bilateral defence engagement.

The talks also examined ways to enhance interoperability through joint military exercises and training programmes, with both sides highlighting the success of Exercise Yudh Abhyas as evidence of growing operational synergy between the two armies.

Earlier this week, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh also met a bipartisan delegation from the US House of Representatives led by Representative Brian Mast, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Their discussions focused on advancing the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, with particular emphasis on strengthening defence industrial cooperation and expanding collaboration in advanced defence technologies.

Admiral Paparo's visit underscores the increasing importance both nations place on defence innovation, maritime security, resilient supply chains and emerging technologies as they continue to broaden strategic cooperation across the Indo-Pacific region.

The engagement also highlights the steady expansion of India-US defence ties beyond traditional military exchanges into areas such as technological collaboration, energy resilience, advanced capability development and long-term regional security coordination.

ANI