Top defence officials from US, Oz, Japan making beeline for Delhi

New Delhi, Aug 22 (UNI) Barely days ahead of a landmark multi-nation naval exercise in the Bay of Bengal, top defence officials from Australia, the United States and Japan are visiting here for talks with the Defence Ministry to identify areas of mutual interest and chalk out plans aimed at furthering military cooperation.

Australian Naval Chief Admiral Russ Shalders is currently holding discussions with the top Indian military brass in the capital to identify areas of mutual interest in the Indian Ocean region -- crucial for both countries as major fuel and trade routes run through the waters -- to make ground for possible joint operations in the future.

For the first time, Indian Navy officers will travel to Australia later this year as observers to the multi-nation Kakadu and Pacific Reach exercises.

The latter will hold specific interest for the Indian Navy as it is focused on submarine rescue operations and will involve China and Pakistan, besides other countries. The Indian Navy is procuring a number of submarines and looking to expand its underwater operations in the near future.

US Pacific Area Commander Admiral Timothy Keating was arriving here later today and was scheduled to meet Defence Minister AK Antony and top Naval officers. The US Navy is sending close to 13 ships -- including two aircraft carriers and a nuclear submarine -- for the 'Malabar 07-2' exercise scheduled to commence from September 4.

While Defence Ministry officials were reluctant to spell out the agenda of his visit, Admiral Keating has been understood to have been pushing for aggressive expansion of bilateral defence relations between India and the US. At a recent congressional statement, he identified India as the biggest potential defence partner in the region.

''We're encouraged by India's willingness to deal with us, to exercise with us and to exchange, again, a broad array of officers for individual and group training... And we are going to pursue this expansion with them aggressively,'' Admiral Keating had said.

Later this week, on Friday, Japanese Defence Minister Yuriko Koike will meet Mr Antony as part of her two-nation tour to India and Pakistan to discuss her country's role in anti-terror operations.

While current regulations restrict the active use of Japanese Defence Forces in anti-terror operations, Tokyo is looking anew at domestic laws to enhance its role on the war against terror.

UNI