Days before the planned 2 + 2 dialogue between the foreign and defense ministers of India and the US, the Indian deputy army chief will visit the Hawaii-based Indo-Pacific Command to boost military cooperation between the two parts.
Lt. Gen. SK Saini, the army’s deputy chief of staff, will visit the United States from Oct. 17-20, people familiar with the events said on condition of anonymity. The 2 + 2 dialogue is expected to take place in New Delhi on October 26-27, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper set to visit India for talks.
“The Deputy Chief of the Indian Army will visit the United States Army Pacific Command (USARPRAC), the military component of the Indo-Pacific Command, and extensively exchange ideas with the US military leadership,” said one of the people quoted. previously.
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“The deputy director will also witness the training and equipping capabilities of the United States Army. The purpose of the visit is to improve military cooperation between the two armies, ”said the person.
Saini will also visit the Indo-Pacific Command headquarters in Hawaii, where he will discuss different aspects of military cooperation and “promoting military-to-military engagement, including US acquisitions, specialized domain training, joint exercises and development of capabilities “. the person said.
The visit is expected to enhance operational and strategic collaboration between the two armies. People described this collaboration as strong, noting that India is moving forward with participating in two joint exercises with the United States despite restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
These exercises are Yudh Abhyas, scheduled for February 2021, and Vajra Prahar, scheduled for March of next year.
Cooperation to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific that is in line with a rules-based order is expected to be an area of focus for both the deputy chief’s visit and the 2 + 2 ministerial dialogue, the people said.
The Indo-Pacific Command is the largest unified command in the US Army, covering an area of more than 260 million square kilometers. Its name was changed from Pacific Command to Indo-Pacific Command in 2018 to reflect the increased emphasis on South Asia, and especially India, on protecting American strategic interests.
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