READOUT: Malabar Navies’ Leadership Meet in Pearl Harbor

19 September 2023

From U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs

U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. Samuel Paparo hosted the Chief of Staff of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Adm. Ryo Sakai, India’s Chief of the Naval Staff Adm. R. Hari Kumar, and Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) Chief of Navy Vice Adm. Mark Hammond at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Sept. 17, 2023.

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Adm. Samuel Paparo, center left, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, hosts the Malabar navies’ leadership Adm. R. Hari Kumar, left, chief of naval staff, Indian Navy, Adm. Ryo Sakai, right middle, chief of staff, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and Vice Adm. Mark Hammond, right, chief of navy, Royal Australian Navy, for a multilateral engagement in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Sept. 17, 2023. The four navies, all participants of the Malabar exercise, met prior to the U.S.-led International Seapower Symposium to reinforce security through partnership in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Jonathan B. Trejo)

Paparo hosted the Malabar navies’ leadership prior to the U.S.-led International Seapower Symposium in Newport, Rhode Island, to reinforce security through partnership in the Indo-Pacific.

The naval leaders focused on deepening maritime cooperation among the U.S. Pacific Fleet, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, Indian Navy and Royal Australian Navy in support of a resilient, free and open Indo-Pacific.

From left: Adm. Ryo Sakai, chief of staff, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force; Adm. R. Hari Kumar, chief of naval staff, Indian Navy; Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet; and Vice Adm. Mark Hammond, chief of navy, Royal Australian Navy, hold a multilateral engagement in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Sept. 17, 2023. The four navies, all participants of the Malabar exercise, met prior to the U.S.-led International Seapower Symposium to reinforce security through partnership in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Jonathan B. Trejo)

From left: Adm. Ryo Sakai, chief of staff, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force; Adm. R. Hari Kumar, chief of naval staff, Indian Navy; Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet; and Vice Adm. Mark Hammond, chief of navy, Royal Australian Navy, meet in preparation for a multilateral engagement in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Sept. 17, 2023. The four navies, all participants of the Malabar exercise, met prior to the U.S.-led International Seapower Symposium to reinforce security through partnership in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Jonathan B. Trejo)

Adm. Samuel Paparo, center, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, hosts Adm. R. Hari Kumar, left, chief of naval staff, Indian Navy, and other Malabar navies’ leadership for a multilateral engagement in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Sept. 17, 2023. The four navies, all participants of the Malabar exercise, met prior to the U.S.-led International Seapower Symposium to reinforce security through partnership in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Jonathan B. Trejo)

Adm. Samuel Paparo (Right), commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, hosts a bilateral engagement with Adm. Ryo Sakai, left, chief of staff, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, during a Malabar navies’ leadership multilateral engagement in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Sept. 17, 2023. The four navies, all participants of the Malabar exercise, met prior to the U.S.-led International Seapower Symposium to reinforce security through partnership in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Jonathan B. Trejo)

Adm. Samuel Paparo, center right, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, hosts a bilateral engagement with Adm. R. Hari Kumar, center left, chief of naval staff, Indian Navy, during a Malabar navies’ leadership multilateral engagement in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Sept. 17, 2023. The four navies, all participants of the Malabar exercise, met prior to the U.S.-led International Seapower Symposium to reinforce security through partnership in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Jonathan B. Trejo)

Adm. Samuel Paparo, right, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, hosts a bilateral engagement with Adm. R. Hari Kumar, center left, chief of naval staff, Indian Navy, during a Malabar navies’ leadership multilateral engagement in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Sept. 17, 2023. The four navies, all participants of the Malabar exercise, met prior to the U.S.-led International Seapower Symposium to reinforce security through partnership in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Jonathan B. Trejo)

Adm. Samuel Paparo, center right, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, hosts a bilateral engagement with Adm. R. Hari Kumar, center left, chief of naval staff, Indian Navy, during a Malabar navies’ leadership multilateral engagement in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Sept. 17, 2023. The four navies, all participants of the Malabar exercise, met prior to the U.S.-led International Seapower Symposium to reinforce security through partnership in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Jonathan B. Trejo)

Vice Adm. Mark Hammond, left, chief of navy, Royal Australian Navy, and Andrea Gleason, right, Australian consul-general to Honolulu, participate in a bilateral engagement with Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, during a Malabar navies’ leadership multilateral engagement in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Sept. 17, 2023. The four navies, all participants of the Malabar exercise, met prior to the U.S.-led International Seapower Symposium to reinforce security through partnership in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Jonathan B. Trejo)

Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, left, hosts a visit to the USS Arizona Memorial for Adm. Ryo Sakai, chief of staff, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, center, Vice Adm. Mark Hammond, chief of navy, Royal Australian Navy, right, and others during a multilateral engagement in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Sept. 17, 2023. Adm. Paparo welcomed the Malabar navies’ leadership, including Adm. R. Hari Kumar, chief of naval staff, Indian Navy, prior to the U.S.-led International Seapower Symposium to reinforce security through partnership in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jeremy R. Boan)

Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, left, gives a tour of the USS Arizona Memorial to Adm. R. Hari Kumar, chief of naval staff, Indian Navy, center, Adm. Ryo Sakai, chief of staff, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, right, and others during a multilateral engagement in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Sept. 17, 2023. Adm. Paparo hosted the navies of Australia, India and Japan, all participants of the Malabar exercise, prior to the U.S.-led International Seapower Symposium to reinforce security through partnership in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jeremy R. Boan)

Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, left, explains the significance of the USS Arizona Memorial shrine wall to Adm. Ryo Sakai, chief of staff, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, center, Adm. R. Hari Kumar, chief of naval staff, Indian Navy, right, and others during a tour of the Memorial. Adm. Paparo hosted the Malabar navies’ leadership for a multilateral engagement in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Sept. 17, 2023, prior to the U.S.-led International Seapower Symposium to reinforce security through partnership in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jeremy R. Boan)

Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, right, explains the significance of the USS Arizona shrine wall to the Malabar navies’ leadership during a tour of the Memorial. Adm. Paparo hosted Adm. R. Hari Kumar, chief of naval staff, Indian Navy; Vice Adm. Mark Hammond, chief of navy, Royal Australian Navy; and Adm. Ryo Sakai, chief of staff, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, for a multilateral engagement in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Sept. 17, 2023. The four navies, all participants of the Malabar exercise, met prior to the U.S.-led International Seapower Symposium to reinforce security through partnership in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jeremy R. Boan)

Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, center, explains the significance of the USS Arizona Memorial shrine wall to the Malabar navies’ leadership and others during a tour of the Memorial. Adm. Paparo hosted the leaders from Australia, India and Japan, all participants of the Malabar exercise, for a multilateral engagement in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Sept. 17, 2023, prior to the U.S.-led International Seapower Symposium to reinforce security through partnership in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jeremy R. Boan)

From left to right: Adm. R. Hari Kumar, chief of naval staff, Indian Navy; Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet; Adm. Ryo Sakai, chief of staff, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and Vice Adm. Mark Hammond, chief of navy, Royal Australian Navy, toss flowers into the water to honor those lost on board USS Arizona during a tour of the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Sept. 17, 2023. Adm. Paparo hosted the Malabar navies’ leadership for a multilateral engagement prior to the U.S.-led International Seapower Symposium to reinforce security through partnership in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jeremy R. Boan)

They also discussed how increased information sharing, expanded naval exercises and cooperative activities, and the provision of reciprocal logistical support can strengthen the maritime security environment.

The four nations participate in the annual Malabar exercise with the objective of advancing collective planning, interoperability, and the employment of advanced warfare tactics between their naval forces.

In addition to the multilateral and bilateral meetings, the naval leaders toured the USS Arizona Memorial during the visit to Pearl Harbor.