Official visit of Vice Admiral Mark Hammond to India will strengthen the Indo-Australian Maritime Ties
VISIT BY VICE ADMIRAL MARK HAMMOND, CHIEF OF ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY
During his official visit to India from April 2 to 6, 2024, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, Chief of the Royal Australian Navy, engaged in strategic discussions with Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Indian Naval Staff, in New Delhi. Their dialogue centered on bolstering maritime cooperation through enhanced operational engagements, training exchanges, and information sharing.
In a ceremonial gesture, Vice Admiral Hammond laid a wreath at the National War Memorial and was accorded a traditional Guard of Honour by the Indian Navy at South Block, New Delhi. His itinerary includes meetings with the Chief of the Defence Staff, Chief of the Air Staff, and Defence Secretary in New Delhi, signifying the depth of Indo-Australian defence relations.
Additionally, his visit to the Indian Navy’s Southern Naval Command in Kochi and Western Naval Command in Mumbai will include interactions with the Commanders-in-Chief, a tour of INS Vikrant, the Druv Simulator, ND(Mbi), and M/s MDL, highlighting the technical and operational synergies between the two navies.
India and Australia's shared perspectives on contemporary maritime security challenges in the Indo-Pacific have led to close collaboration in various 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.
Vice Admiral Hammond’s visit, closely following the Royal Australian Ship HMNAS Warramunga’s successful participation in MILAN 24 and recent maritime exercises, is a testament to the enduring and strong bilateral naval relationship between India and Australia.