US Military Teams Up With New Partner Against China Threat

The U.S. has teamed up with its new defense partner, India, to conduct a large military exercise amid a threat from China.

"This is the largest and most complex Tiger TRIUMPH, and I couldn't be more excited for the opportunity to work with our Indian partners as we continue to build on our relationship in order to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific," Rear Adm. Joaquin Martinez, commander of the U.S. Joint Force for Tiger TRIUMPH said, according to a statement by the U.S. Navy on March 24.

This collaboration underscores a mutual commitment to enhancing defense, security, and diplomatic relations, especially when the region faces heightened border tensions and an increased Chinese naval presence in the Indian Ocean Region.

Amidst these exercises, regional security concerns continue to evolve. The Indian Navy has ramped up its presence in the Red Sea to counter threats by the Iran-backed Houthis, who have targeted cargo vessels linked to Israel, the United States, and their allies, aiming to blockade shipments in solidarity with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Departing from the eastern Indian port city of Visakhapatnam, this exercise marks a pinnacle in the bilateral tri-service Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Exercise, Tiger Triumph-24, scheduled to run from March 18 to March 31, 2024, along the Eastern Seaboard of India, according to the Indian Navy's statement.

This year's Tiger TRIUMPH, standing for Tri-Services India U.S. Amphibious Exercise, is notably comprehensive, bringing together multiple branches from both militaries, thus marking it as the most intricate exercise undertaken by the two countries to date, Naval News reported on Wednesday.

The significance of this exercise was underscored by U.S. Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, who lauded India as a "close friend," underscoring the deepening strategic partnership between the two democracies.

"Can we integrate two different, great militaries to seamlessly, in times of emergency, act hand in hand, join hands together and I think that has deepened since 2019," Garcetti said during a press conference on March 19.

Newsweek contacted China's Embassy in Washington, D.C. for comment.

The Tiger TRIUMPH exercise was inaugurated in 2019 amidst a period of bolstered defense and security ties between Washington and New Delhi.

"The US would be represented by US Navy Ships with embarked troops of the US Marine Corps and US Army. The exercise is aimed at developing interoperability for conducting HADR operations and refine Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to enable rapid and smooth coordination between forces of both countries," India's Ministry of Defense said in a statement on March 18.

The exercise features a notable array of U.S. military assets, including the USS Somerset (LPD 25), USS Halsey (DDG 97), elements of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, and a P-8A Poseidon from Patrol Squadron 47, according to the U.S. Navy's statement.

This collaboration extends beyond the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, with participation from the Army and Air Force, underscoring this partnership's multi-dimensional nature in countering China's growing belligerent acts in the Indo-Pacific region.

Concurrent with the exercises, India is actively enhancing its military capabilities by procuring American defense equipment. This includes a substantial deal approved in February for the sale of 31 General Atomics MQ-9B SeaGuardians to India, with 15 designated for the Indian Navy.