Norfolk: Indian Navy's first ever acquisition of a US warship reflects the converging security priorities and interests of India and the United States, according to the Indian Ambassador to the US Ronen Sen.

It symbolised the growing partnership between the two countries in the field of defence, he said yesterday while commissioning an old US warhorse, the USS Trenton, into the Indian Navy as INS Jalashwa (river horse or hippopotamus in Sanskrit), at Norfolk in Virginia, about 230 km from Washington.

Jalashwa is 173 metres long and 32 metres wide. It has a large flight deck and a well deck the size of two basketball courts in the aft section. With gross tonnage of 16,900 tons, it is Indian Navy's second largest combat platform after the aircraft carrier Viraat.

In June 2005, Sen recalled, India and the United States signed a historic defence framework document at the level of their defence ministers that captured the spirit and essence of the new stage of defence cooperation. In the context of a global partnership, the Defence Framework set out the common interests of both countries in maintaining security and stability, combating terrorism, protecting the free flow of commerce and preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction and associated materials, data and technologies.

It also envisaged cooperation in the area of defence technology, industry, co-production, research and development and defence supplies. "The commissioning of INS Jalashwa is a manifestation as well as a harbinger of this dimension of our cooperation. It is also a reflection of the trust and long-term commitment that both sides bring to this relationship," he said.

The US and Indian navies now conduct regular exercises together in a bilateral and multilateral framework. The Malabar series of joint India-US exercises have been progressively widened in scope and depth over the years. Similarly enhanced levels of interaction can be seen between the Armies and Air Forces of our two countries. "I am confident that the INS Jalashwa will become part of this growing interaction and connection between the Indian and US Armed Forces," Sen said.

With the commissioning of Jalashwa India joins a select group of nations operating a Landing Platform Dock (LPD) giving it enhanced capability to move troops and equipment to greater distances in furtherance of its maritime interests.

The first of its class to be inducted into the Indian Navy, INS Jalashwa is commanded by Captain B. S. Ahluwalia and manned by a crew of 27 officers and 302 sailors.