CHENNAI, India – The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stratton arrived Friday in Chennai following previous engagements with Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Stratton’s crew will work alongside U.S. Navy and Marine Corps personnel to expand cooperation between personnel, in both nations’ navies and coast guards, which play a critical role ensuring freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region.

India is a strategic partner in the Indo-Pacific, whose partnership stands upon a shared commitment to uphold the rule of law, freedom of navigation, democratic values and open markets – key principles of the United States’ Indo-Pacific vision.

"The U.S. Coast Guard is excited to work with the India Coast Guard to further our shared interest in a rules based, free and open Indo-Pacific,” said Capt. Bob Little, commanding officer Coast Guard Cutter Stratton. “We have several days of in-harbor and at sea exercises planned that will advance our shared capabilities to combat maritime security threats such as trans-national crime, terrorism, illegal fishing, and more. India is among the United States’ most valuable strategic partners in the Indo-Pacific, and this visit represents an outstanding opportunity to strengthen that partnership."

The Stratton crew will be in Chennai participating in shore side and at-sea maritime training exercises, including mock vessel boarding, navigation, communications and small boat operations.

Stratton, a 418-foot national security cutter, originally homeported in Alameda, California, is operating in the western pacific under the tactical control of U.S. 7th Fleet, engaging in professional exchanges and capacity-building exercises with partner nations, and will patrol and conduct operations in the Indo-Pacific region as directed.