The high-voltage Malabar exercise featuring the navies of all four Quad countries -- India, the US, Australia and Japan -- began on Thursday off the coast of Guam against the backdrop of a resolve by the four nations to solidify cooperation for a free and open Indo-Pacific in view of China's rouge behaviour in the region.
If confirmed by the Senate, Garcetti, 50, would replace Kenneth Juster, who served as India's Ambassador to the US during the Trump administration.
First look on US Pacific Fleet commander Admiral Gary Roughhead in Mumbai.
"Few nations are more vital to the future of American security and prosperity than India," Garcetti told the committee.
For the first time, the US Navy will include long-range maritime and submarine hunter aircraft P3C Orions in the exercises.
Deputy director for the People's Liberation Army Office for International Military Cooperation Major General Huang Xueping held a video conference with his US counterpart Michael Chase last week.
Expressing grave concern over a US nuclear-powered submarine sustaining damage in the disputed South China Sea, China on Friday demanded Washington to reveal the details and the location of the accident and blamed America's frequent air and naval sorties in the Indo-Pacific to assert the "freedom of navigation" as the "root cause" of the incident.
US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter will sign a fresh 10-year defence framework agreement with India on Wednesday
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