Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, Chief of the Royal Australian Navy, is on an official visit to India from April 2 to 6 to bolster bilateral maritime relations between the two nations. His visit includes key cities and prominent maritime regions across India.

In New Delhi, Vice Admiral Hammond met with Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff, to discuss increasing operational engagements, training exchanges, and information sharing. He paid tribute at the National War Memorial and received a Guard of Honour from the Indian Navy. He is also scheduled to meet with the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of the Air Staff, and Defence Secretary during his stay.

Vice Admiral Hammond’s itinerary includes visits to Mumbai and Kochi, where he will meet with the respective Commanders-in-Chief and visit significant naval installations like INS Vikrant, Integrated Simulator Complex, and Naval Dockyard (Mumbai) and M/s MDL.

India and Australia share similar views on various maritime safety issues in the Indo-Pacific region and have cooperated closely in bilateral and multilateral forums, including IONS, IORA, WPNS, ADMM Plus, and QUAD.

Vice Admiral Hammond’s visit follows the participation of the Royal Australian Ship HMAS Warramunga at MILAN 24 and the AUSINDEX naval exercise in Sydney in August 2023. These interactions underscore the commitment of both nations to maritime security and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.