New Delhi: US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) chief Admiral Samuel J. Paparo arrived in India on October 3 for a six-day visit, with discussions scheduled with senior Indian defence and military leadership on strengthening the India-US Major Defence Partnership and advancing military-to-military cooperation across the Indo-Pacific.
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During his October 3–8 visit, Paparo is expected to engage Indian counterparts on shared security priorities, including digital transformation, emerging critical technologies, regional strategic stability and defence energy resilience. The US Embassy said the two countries are working to build a defence partnership focused on emerging technology and maritime security.
The visit comes shortly after a series of high-level India-US military engagements. The two countries recently concluded the 22nd edition of Exercise Yudh Abhyas, while US Army Pacific Deputy Commander Lt Gen Joel B. Vowell met Army Chief Gen Dhiraj Seth on September 28 to discuss the Indo-Pacific security environment and opportunities to deepen bilateral defence engagement.
Paparo is also making his second India visit of 2026. During his February visit, he held discussions with senior Indian defence leaders and visited India's Western Command, as well as the Aeronautical Development Agency and National Flight Test Centre in Bengaluru. He also engaged Indian and US industry and technology leaders on emerging defence technologies.
The latest visit comes as India and the US continue to expand cooperation across maritime security, military interoperability, emerging technologies and defence industrial collaboration. With both sides placing greater emphasis on the Indo-Pacific and technology-enabled military capabilities, Paparo's engagement provides another high-level channel for coordinating their evolving strategic and operational priorities.
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