Gilday is visiting India to reaffirm the growing level of naval cooperation between the two nations.

“Make no mistake, India is one of our closest strategic partners, and our relationship is a stronghold of a free and open Indo-Pacific,” said Gilday. “This visit is a great opportunity for me to meet with my counterpart in India and discuss areas for continued mutual cooperation. No doubt, there are many areas where we can partner and collaborate.”

There is no better signal of the U.S. Navy’s desire to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific than operating in the region.

“I am grateful for our navies’ continued cooperation in the Indo-Pacific to create an inclusive, free and open rules-based order,” said Gilday. “And by continuing to work closely with the Indian Navy, we will increase our interoperability for decades to come as well as maintain security, stability, and prosperity.”

This visit will also underscore the growing strength of the U.S.-India Defense partnership as the two countries work in concert with like-minded partners to promote shared goals. The United States designated India as a Major Defense Partner in 2016.