Naval ship USS Harpers Ferry arrives at Mormugao Port
TEAM HERALD
VASCO: The US Naval ship USS Harpers Ferry arrived at Mormugao Port on Monday, as part of a four-day bilateral staff planning and field training exercise with a focus on amphibious operations between the US Navy and Indian armed forces.
Addressing a news conference, Commander Stephen J Ilteris, Commanding Officer of ‘USS Harpers Ferry’, stated that the US Navy will showcase medical facilities and other warfare capabilities onboard the vessel during the training exercises.
Lieutenant Colonel George W Markert, Commanding Officer of Combat Logistic Battalion 13 of ‘USS Harpers Ferry’, said they will conduct a four-day training programme between the US Navy, US Marine and Indian Navy.
“The four-day training programme will be class room training besides training on the ship and shore. The exercise has a basic foundation of shared interest, unity of efforts, strategic and operational guidance and command relationship between US and Indian armed forces,” informed Lt Col Markert.
Lt Col Markert informed that the purpose of training is to enhance professional and amicable relations between the two militaries. “Both the navies have much to offer in terms of experience, expertise, national interest including regional security and freedom of navigation for commerce,” he added.
Lt Col Markert said the exercise provides a foundation for mutually understanding each other and how to conduct a planned operation. “Such exercises remove cultural and geographical barriers and it paves way for further partnership. The exercise provides excellent opportunity for expanding common ground, sharing, learning, training and creating friendship,” he said.
Ilteris said the training programme is basically an interaction between Indian and US Navy on personal, sports besides the classroom and table top training programme on different strategies of warfare.
