Kochi, Friday 16 April 2010: Admiral Gary Roughead, Chief of Naval Operations of the United States Navy, visited the Southern Naval Command here.

The Admiral arrived at the Cochin international airport here in a special aircraft.

His itinerary here included a meeting with Vice-Admiral Krishnan Nair Sushil, Flag Officer–in-Chief of the Southern Naval Command, a briefing on the training activities of the Indian Navy and a visit to the Navigation and Direction School located at the Naval Base.

He will leave India on Friday. This year’s Exercise Malabar, with participation from the Indian and the U.S. Navies, is slated to begin on April 23.

Earlier, on arrival in New Delhi on Monday, Admiral Roughead held discussion with the Indian Navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma and senior officials of the forces and the Defence Ministry.