Admiral Samuel J. Paparo, the commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, recently visited India from March 16 to 19, 2025, to engage with top Indian civil and military leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan.

The discussions primarily focused on enhancing military ties between the U.S. and India, particularly regarding a potential renewal of a 10-year defence framework that underpins the U.S.-India Major Defence Partnership, which is set for renewal next year.

During his visit, Paparo participated in the Raisina Dialogue, India's premier conference on geopolitics, where he spoke on issues related to maritime security and the integration of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence in military operations.

His trip also emphasised the importance of collaborative efforts among Quad nations—India, the U.S., Australia, and Japan—to address regional security challenges.

The initiative known as COMPACT (Catalysing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce & Technology), launched by U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Modi in February 2025, aims to foster transformative changes across various sectors including defence and trade.

Paparo's meetings reinforced the commitment to deepen bilateral cooperation across multiple domains and enhance the strategic partnership between the two nations.

PTI