India-US mark 'trusted partnership' as Coast Guard Ship 'Midgett' arrives in Chennai

The United States Coast Guard Ship 'Midgett (WMSL-757)' arrived in Chennai on Friday for a duration of four days from September 16 to 19, as a part of a goodwill gesture between the Indian Coast Guard and the US Coast Guard. According to news agency ANI, the Coast Guards of both countries will participate in a joint exercise scheduled for September 19. 

The US Coast Guard Ship's port visit is aimed at reiterating 75 years of "trusted partnership" between the US and India. According to a press release issued by the US embassy, the US Coast Guard Midgett intends to hold bilateral in-port and at-sea professional exchanges, sharing expertise and best practices in exercises in Coast Guard missions.

Informing that the United States Coast Guard Ship 'Midgett' is in Indo-Pacific, the US Consulate General Chennai on Twitter wrote, "Welcome to the Port of Chennai. USCG Cutter Midgett (WMSL 757) sailing in from Singapore. The Midgett is in the Indo-Pacific to conduct joint Coast Guard bilateral exercises."

Welcoming the USCGC Midgett to Chennai, US Consul General in Chennai Judith Ravin said, "It gives me immense pleasure to welcome the USCGC Midgett and its crew to Chennai. The US is a proud Indo-Pacific nation and our vital interests are inextricably tied to the region. India is an important partner of the US in the Indo-Pacific region. I am confident the US-India partnership during the visit of the USCGC Midgett will further strengthen our bond towards a shared vision of a free and secure Indo-Pacific."

Earlier in August 2019, US Coast Guard Cutter Stratton visited Chennai to expand cooperation between personnel, which plays a critical role in ensuring freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region.

US Coast Guard Cutter Midgett

USCGC Midgett is the largest and most technologically advanced of the US Coast Guard’s newest classes of cutter.  The Legend-class national security cutter (NSC) is the centerpiece of the US Coast Guard’s fleet, capable of executing the most challenging operations, including supporting maritime homeland security and defense missions.

Midgett is named after the late Rear Admiral John Allen Midgett, who was awarded the Gold Lifesaving Medal, the country’s highest award for saving a life, for his heroic rescue of 42 crewmen from the torpedoed British tanker Mirlo in 1918. The cutter has accommodations for approximately 170 officers and enlisted crewmembers.