During his official visit to India, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, Head of the Royal Australian Navy, engaged in discussions with Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff of the Indian Navy, in New Delhi on April 3, 2024. The talks centered on enhancing bilateral maritime cooperation through increased operational engagements, training exchanges, and information sharing.
Earlier today, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond paid respects at the National War Memorial by laying a ceremonial wreath. Following this, he received the customary Guard of Honour presented by the Indian Navy at the South Block in New Delhi. Throughout his visit from April 2 to April 6, 2024, he is also scheduled to meet with the Chief of Defense, Chief of the Air Staff, and Defense Secretary in New Delhi.
Vice Admiral Mark Hammond’s itinerary includes visits to the Indian Navy’s Southern Naval Command in Kochi and the Western Naval Command in Mumbai, where he will interact with the respective Commanders-in-Chief and visit INS Vikrant, the Druv Simulator, ND(Mbi), and M/s MDL.
India and Australia share similar perspectives on various contemporary maritime security issues in the Indo-Pacific region and collaborate closely in bilateral and multilateral forums such as the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS), ASEAN Defence Minister’s Meeting Plus (ADMM Plus), and QUAD.
Following the successful participation of the Royal Australian Ship HMNAS Warramunga in MILAN 24 and recent maritime exercises, the visit by the Chief of the Royal Australian Navy further strengthens the enduring and robust bilateral relations between the two navies.
