Well good morning everyone!  General Yoshida – wonderful to see you Sir. Honored to see you again and thank you for making the effort to come to this exercise. Consul General Larson – thank you so much for being here. Very, very, helpful to have such leadership with us as we embark on an excellent exercise. You know last year we conducted this exercise off the east coast of Australia.  This year Malabar has returned to its birthplace -- the Indian Ocean.

You know I’m surrounded by a group of friends up here on the dais and I couldn’t be more excited and fired up to be here for exercise Malabar 24. So for Admiral Pendharker – thank you for hosting. Phenomenal opportunity to work together. And certainly for Admiral Smith and Vice Admiral Omachi, a pleasure to serve with you in this exercise. Thank you.

We welcome the opportunity to train here with our Malabar partners and I look forward to an outstanding exercise.
 
As demonstrated by the U.S. Pacific Fleet presence here, we value this partnership with the Indian Navy and acknowledge India’s key role in the Indo-Pacific.  Together, we have increased our maritime patrol aircraft operations in the Indian Ocean.  The U.S. Navy support ships now receive regular maintenance in Indian shipyards.
 
We’re supporting the Indian defense modernization through co-development and co-production of major defense platforms.  And our exercises together continue to expand in scale and scope.  Earlier this year, we sent ships to India to participate in Exercise MILAN and the largest-ever exercise TIGER TRIUMPH.  Over the summer, we welcomed the Indian Navy Ship SHIVALIK to RIMPAC and an Indian Navy P-8 for the largest maritime exercise on the planet.

 
 
During RIMPAC 24, SHIVALIK showcased to world’s Navies her extraordinary professionalism and exceptional naval gunnery skills.  She won the RIMPAC Naval Gunfire Support Competition. And just last month, our U.S. Army counterparts were in exercise Yudh Abhyas.
 
Our groundbreaking operations with India occur in context of historic levels of U.S. Pacific Fleet activity in the Indian Ocean.
 
Those include Indian Ocean operations by our rotational Littoral Combat Ships in Singapore, and our increased operations out of Western Australia.  We also recognize the broader significance of the Indian Ocean – a third of the world’s bulk cargo and two-thirds of global oil pass through its sea lanes as you all here know.  Our combined activities in the Indian Ocean promote this free trade and shared prosperity, reinforced by the rules-based international order that everyone of my colleagues mentioned today.

That order is based on values and ideals that have stabilized the world for generations.  It includes preventing the change of borders by force, maintain freedom of the seas, and prohibitions against the use of weapons of mass destruction.  It is the common cause our allies and partners rally around.  That common cause -- of global order based on values and ideals -- make our alliances and partnerships unbreakable. 
 
We advance a shared vision for an Indo-Pacific where all countries, regardless of size or strength, are secure in their sovereignty and free from coercion.  Our shared vision underpins our strong network of professional militaries throughout the Indo-Pacific.  It is upheld routinely by the U.S. Pacific Fleet, but certainly with our multinational partners represented here. It drives us more together.

 
 
And make no mistake – we’re doing more together.  Our recent actions with our allies and partners are historic and part of a new convergence in the Indo-Pacific.  Our combined capabilities and links with like-minded nations dwarf those of any competitor.  This produces integrated deterrence, which is realized through the combination of all elements of national power. 
 
We contribute to this militarily across the joint and combined force with our allies and partners in order to deter conflict.    
 
As part of integrated deterrence, many of our previously bilateral exercises have become multilateral.  Malabar -- previously an Indian and U.S. bilateral exercise as mentioned -- is now a great example.  This year will be the fifth time that all four countries have participated together.
 
During this Malabar, we will continue to strengthen our maritime integration, interoperability, and combat readiness.  We will continue to operate safely and set a gold standard for professionalism.  We will continue to deter conflict and promote a safe, prosperous, and secure Indian Ocean.
 
I am proud of what our teams can generate in terms of military combat power; our ability to synchronize that power in all domains; and to synchronize all of that with all of our allies and partners.
 
But we don’t do these things just to do them. We do them specifically to defend the rules-based international order that benefits all nations, large or small.  And there is so much more we can do.  As four strong democracies dedicated to stability and prosperity, there is no limit to what we can do together to maintain the free and open Indo-Pacific.  I wish all the exercise participants a productive exercise and shared growth and development; personally and professionally.
 
I would trade places with any of you out there--flying, sailing, and operating together.  Thank you for being here and thank you for our outstanding Indian hosts this year. And please everyone have a great exercise, operate safely, and let’s take the fight forward. Thank you very much.