Jan 17 (MOD), States Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Robert F. Willard today (January 17) met Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Ministry of Defence, Colombo. He was accompanied by Commander of the Navy Vice Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda, US ambassador Robert Blake and a high-level U.S. Navy delegation.

The discussion between Defence Secretary Rajapaksa and Admiral Willard focused on strengthening the bilateral relations between defence establishments of the two countries. Admiral Robert F. Willard is the commander of the world's larges naval command encompassing 100 million square miles and approximately 178 ships, 1500 aircraft and 160,000 sailors, Marines and civilians. He assumed command of the U.S. Pacific Fleet in May 2007. During his career, Admiral Willard had commanded the amphibious flagship, USS Tripoli and the aircraft carrier, USS Abraham Lincoln. Also, he was as an F-14 aviator, who had served in a variety of fighter squadrons and aircraft carriers and commanded the Screaming Eagles of Fighter squadron 51 (VF -51).

- MOD