Washington, Nov 16 : Indian Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi visited the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Daniel Inouye, during which he received a briefing about the destroyer's modifications, multi-mission versatility, and advanced maritime surveillance systems.

Admiral Tripathi also visited Joint Base Pearl Harborâ??Hickam and was briefed on operational capabilities, ongoing initiatives of the US Pacific Fleet and units based at the joint facility.

According to the Indian Navy's statement on Sunday, the visit of Admiral Tripathi demonstrates the importance of strengthening interoperability and enhancing operational synergy between the maritime forces of the two nations.

In a statement shared on X, the Indian Navy stated, "As part of the ongoing visit, Adm Dinesh K Tripathi, CNS, visited the US Navy's state-of-the-art Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer USS Daniel Inouye. He was briefed on the destroyerâ??s cutting-edge modifications, multi-mission versatility, and advanced maritime surveillance systems.

"CNS also visited Joint Base Pearl Harborâ??Hickam during the visit. He was briefed on operational capabilities, ongoing initiatives of the US Pacific Fleet and units based at the joint facility. The visit highlighted the importance of strengthening Interoperability and enhancing operational synergy between the India and US maritime forces. A key engagement reinforcing the shared commitment to peace, stability, and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific," it added.

CNS Tripathi is currently in the US for an official visit aimed at strengthening the robust and enduring maritime partnership between the navies of India and the US, a key pillar of the Defence Partnership between the two nations.

On Saturday, Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi held a series of high-level discussions with top US military officials in a step towards enhancing maritime cooperation between the two nations.

He met Admiral Samuel J Paparo, Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral Stephen T Koehler, Commander of US Pacific Fleet and Lieutenant General James F Glynn, Commander of US Marine Forces Pacific.

"The interactions reaffirmed the enduring partnership between the Indian Navy and US Navy, as well as the growing synergy with US Marine and joint forces -- anchored in mutual trust, shared values, and a common commitment to a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based Indo-Pacific," the Indian Navy's spokesperson posted on X on Saturday.

Both sides reviewed key pillars of India-US defence cooperation, focusing on strengthening maritime security and cooperation, enhancing interoperability, and expanding avenues for operational engagements across the Indo-Pacific.

The discussions also covered priority areas of mutual maritime interest, including deeper information sharing and maritime domain awareness, building on mechanisms like Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) and linkages with the Information Fusion Centre -- Indian Ocean Region.

The two sides also explored ways to safeguard sea lines of communication and critical undersea infrastructure, alongside improving coordinated responses for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), Search and Rescue (SAR) operations, counter-piracy, and non-traditional security challenges.

They also discussed plans to conduct more complex and regular bilateral and multilateral exercises, including MALABAR, PASSEX, and those under the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF)and MILAN framework -- to refine joint warfighting, logistics, and sustainment.

Both navies explored avenues for collaboration in emerging domains -- unmanned systems, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), cyber, and space-enabled maritime operations -- to bolster readiness and resilience at sea.

/IANS