Speeches and Remarks

Remarks by Ambassador David C. Mulford Onboard the USS Cowpens

Port of Mormagao, Goa
October 10, 2004

As prepared for delivery

Thank you Captain Sorce. And thanks to your fine crew for hosting this reception and for bringing the USS Cowpens to Goa. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, thank you for welcoming these ships and their crews to Goa.

Admiral Shekar Sinha let me thank you and the Indian Navy for acting as such good hosts. Some of you may be surprised to know that this ship visit is not a one-way affair. The Indian Navy sail-training vessel Tarangini recently spent several months in American waters on her way around the world. In fact, Tarangini took part in a series of sailing ship races in the Great Lakes - and won them all. Despite that, they will certainly be invited back.

I also want to thank Acting Port Director Venkatachalam. Thank you for your support of this visit. The last time Jeannie and I were here it was to welcome the USS Boxer. That was the first visit of a U.S. Navy vessel to Goa and the largest U.S. Navy vessel to visit any Indian port.

Today, we have another first; the submarine tied up next to us, the USS Alexandria, is the first nuclear powered U.S. Naval vessel to visit India. Her homeport is Groton, Connecticut, on the Atlantic Ocean. She actually moved from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean by crossing under the arctic ice of the North Pole. Her Commander, Thomas Kearney, is here with us tonight. Jeannie and I had the chance to tour the Alexandria earlier this evening - a memorable experience.

We also have an old friend in our ship group. The USS Gary has been to India before - two years ago, she visited in Cochin.

I suspect that of all the sailors on these ships only a few have visited India before. For them India will have gone from being an unknown country on the other side of the globe to a welcoming port of call full of excitement and new friends.

As is typical for our men and women in uniform, these sailors make sure to give back to the community. Earlier today, sailors from the Cowpens, Alexandria and Gary painted classrooms in the Nanu Nagle School in Margao. They also donated sewing machines, textiles, and books.

Ship visits like this are significant events. They mark the increase in our interaction. Military cooperation remains one of the most important, visible, and proactive forces powering the transformation of U.S.-India relations. Our cooperation is strengthened because of the Indian and U.S. military establishments' mutual desire to deepen our relationship.

In fact, this very ship is no stranger to U.S.-Indian cooperation. Back in April of 2002, Indian Navy vessels Sharda and Sukanya relieved the Cowpens to escort merchant ships through the Straits of Malacca providing protection against terrorist attacks and piracy on the high seas during Operation Enduring Freedom.

There are other examples of this growing relationship. During exercises in Agra in 2002, Indian and American Special Forces paratroopers jumped from Indian and U.S. Air Force aircraft to learn about each other's formation flying techniques and to coordinate dropping ground support cargo.

In February of this year, for the first time since 1963, eight F-15C aircraft from the 19th Fighter Squadron based at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska flew to Indian Air Force Station, Gwalior, to participate in air combat training. In another first, India made the largest-ever strategic deployment of combat aircraft outside its territory this summer when India participated in the multinational Cope Thunder 2004 exercise in Alaska.

And in April, Jeannie and I visited India's Jungle Warfare Training Center in Mizoram, where 55 American soldiers were training there with Indian commandos.

These are all important measures of our cooperation because they showcase the cutting edge of interoperability, especially as both armies gear up to tackle terrorists and guerrilla and clandestine warfare.

This mutual desire to expand defense cooperation continues to grow. Much of what has been accomplished from the U.S. side is the result of the U.S. military carrying out the spirit of President Bush's declared objective of creating a fundamental shift in U.S.-India relations. On the Indian side, there have been strong efforts to expand cooperation in areas of mutual benefit, to emphasize partnerships, not differences, and to seek regional collaboration. India's service chiefs have translated this positive initiative into a coordinated program of military engagement priorities with the U.S.

In addition to ship visits like those of the Cowpens, Alexandria, and Gary, military cooperation across the board has seen dramatic improvements in the number and quality of training exercises, seminars, personnel exchanges, senior visits, functional visits, technology cooperation, and defense sales. I am confident our ties will continue to grow stronger.

In closing, I would like to thank those of you in the Indian and U.S. Navies who have carried out this exercise. You should be proud of your work. I congratulate you on your success, I wish you all fair winds in the future, and I look forward to seeing you back here in Goa.