US Coast Guard ship makes Chennai port visit

Naval Attach at the US Embassy in New Delhi Captain David Wilcox said, This port visit demonstrates our Coast Guards shared commitment to promote safety and security at sea within the international rules-based order. US Consul General in Chennai Judith Ravin said the United States is a proud Indo-Pacific nation, and our vital interests are inextricably tied to the region.

A US Coast Guard ship on Friday arrived here on a port visit that was aimed at reiterating 75 years of ''trusted partnership'' between the US and India. USCGC Midgett, a Hawaii-based National Security Cutter (NSC), reached Chennai for a port visit from September 16-19, a release from the US Consulate General here said. It intends to hold bilateral in-port and at-sea professional exchanges, sharing expertise and best practices in exercises in Coast Guard missions. ''USCGC Midgett is on a mission to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific through cooperation and maritime domain awareness with the Indian Coast Guard. The visit by USCGC Midgett is aimed at reiterating the 75 years of trusted partnership between the United States and India and strengthening the relationship'' between the Coast Guards of the two countries, it said.

The Midgett is equipped with a UAS Scan Eagle drone, MH-65 helicopter and other state-of-the-art equipment. It is commanded by Captain Willie Carmichael since August 2021. ''As we spend the next four days with our Indian Coast Guard partners, we will work to advance our capabilities and interoperability through meaningful human interactions with our likeminded partners who share similar values and a commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific,'' the official was quoted as saying. Naval Attaché at the US Embassy in New Delhi Captain David Wilcox said, ''This port visit demonstrates our Coast Guards' shared commitment to promote safety and security at sea within the international rules-based order.'' US Consul General in Chennai Judith Ravin said the United States is a proud Indo-Pacific nation, ''and our vital interests are inextricably tied to the region''. ''India is an important partner of the United States in the Indo-Pacific region. I am confident the US-India partnership during the visit of the USCGC Midgett will further strengthen our bond towards a shared vision of a free and secure Indo-Pacific,'' she said.

According to the release, USCGC Midgett is the largest and most technologically advanced of the US Coast Guard's newest classes of cutter.

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