Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh (R) during a meeting with US Navy Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Admiral Michael Gilday in New Delhi

Safe and secure seas cannot be preserved without a strong maritime force, Chief of US Naval Operations Admiral Michael Gilday said on Friday while describing ties between navies of India and the US as "unwavering".

The top American naval commander made the remarks at an event during a visit to the Western Naval Command in Mumbai.

In his address, Admiral Gilday stressed on the need for both the navies to continue working together "hand-in-hand" to make the Indo-Pacific a "beacon of hope for today and tomorrow".

He said the "price of peace and prosperity" is maintaining a vigilant watch on, under and above the sea, according to the US Navy.

"Safe and secure seas cannot be preserved without a strong maritime force," Admiral Gilday said.

The visit to Mumbai is the last stop of Gilday's five-day trip to India.

"Our relationship is unwavering. The US Navy is committed to maintaining a steady course of naval cooperation and growing the connections between our two navies. I am committed to that. Without a doubt, our greatest strength lies in unity," he said.

The American commander held talks with Vice Admiral Hari Kumar, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command, during which they discussed areas for mutual cooperation and reaffirmed the growing level of naval collaboration and partnership between the two nations.

At the event, Admiral Gilday said both sides are achieving high-end interoperability across all facets of naval operations, not only with each other but also with other like-minded partners.

"Our steady presence greases the gears of global commerce...assuring maritime traffic moves freely...and prevents disruption of our digital infrastructure under the sea," he said.

On Thursday, Admiral Michael Gilday hosted Indian Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh and 11 other senior Indian military officials aboard nuclear-powered US aircraft carrier Carl Vinson in the Bay of Bengal.

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier is part of the deployment by the US Navy in the second phase of the ongoing Malabar exercise featuring the navies of all four Quad countries -- India, the US, Australia and Japan.

The four-day exercise concluded on Friday.