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Defence Minister of India Rajnath Singh visited the William B. Morgan Large Cavitation Channel (LCC) at the Naval Surface Warfare Centre in the United States, where he was briefed about its operations and usage as India is exploring possibilities of establishing similar facilities in the country. The Centre is one of the world’s largest and most advanced water tunnel facilities.
Singh was briefed about the center’s operations and the usage of the tunnel, which is used to test submarines, torpedoes, naval surface ships, and propellers. The Indian Ambassador to the US, the Director General of the Indian Navy, naval operations personnel, and defense technology advisors from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) accompanied the minister during his visit on Sunday.
US Navy’s Deputy Under Secretary facilitated Singh’s visit. The Commander and Technical Director of the Naval Surface Warfare Center provided detailed insights during the visit, India’s Defence Ministry said in a statement. The purpose of this visit is to explore opportunities for India and the US to collaborate on establishing similar facilities in India, with a focus on indigenous design and development.
During the visit, Singh met with representatives from major US defense industry companies, including Boeing, GE, General Atomics, General Dynamics Land Systems, L3 Harris, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies, Rolls-Royce, and Thales.
The US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin invited Singh on a four-day visit to Washington, including a bilateral meeting with his American counterpart and a meeting with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. This visit is expected to strengthen the global strategic partnership between the two nations. Singh also chaired a high-level roundtable discussion with the US defense industry, focusing on collaboration opportunities.
“Visited Naval Surface Warfare Centre at Carderock and witnessed the pathbreaking experiments at the facility. India and the US look forward to working together and benefit from each other’s experiences,” Singh posted on social media platform X.
On the final day of his visit, Singh also met with the Indian diaspora and hailed them as a ‘living bridge’ between India and the US. He visited the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, where he interacted with members of the Indian diaspora.
“Had a wonderful interaction with the Indian community at Memphis. Their contribution to society, science, and the economy has been exemplary,” he later posted on X.
The minister engaged with Indian community members from Memphis, Atlanta, Nashville, and other nearby areas, and praised their significant contributions to various sectors. He highlighted the pivotal role of the Indian diaspora in fostering close relations and goodwill between the two nations, further strengthening bilateral ties.
Singh also commended the community’s efforts in establishing an exhibit of Mahatma Gandhi and placing two honorary ‘Gandhi Way’ street signs near the National Civil Rights Museum during the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in 2019. The National Civil Rights Museum, which traces the history of the civil rights movement in the US from the 17th century to the present, is built around the site where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968. The museum also features a bust of Mahatma Gandhi, acknowledging his influence on non-violent resistance.
During this final event of his US visit, Rajnath Singh also emphasized India’s remarkable growth over the past decade and its promising future potential.