and Start-Ups

“I do hope that in future years we might be able to come to an agreement to be able to establish a global office here that entrepreneurs can bring ideas to. We could then try to help you expand your marketplace, both here and in the United States as well,” he said.

Tackling climate change

While answering a question posed by a Nexus alumnus, Del Toro said that the United States and its Navy are taking significant steps to tackle waste and climate change at different levels. “We take this responsibility very seriously in the Department of the Navy. The time I served in the Navy, we threw garbage and plastics overboard. We don’t do that anymore unless it’s completely biodegradable,” he explained.

Other than that, he said, the Department of the Navy and the Marine Corps have invested in solar and wind energy efficiencies at the Marine Corps base in Albany, Georgia. The Department of Defense has also made major investments in electric cars, he added.

Deeper defense ties

Secretary Del Toro also answered several questions on the safe exchange of intelligence, on cyber security and defense cooperation, posed by students of international studies.

By KRITTIKA SHARMA

Highlighting the importance of war exercises and international cooperation, the Secretary of the Navy said it is extremely important to learn to operate with each other on a regular basis. “The more we learn to operate with each other, the more we’ll be able to trust and understand how each of our Navies and Marine Corps, and other services, work together. This way, if we ever have to deter an adversary collectively, we’ll know exactly how to operate together,” he said. “In the United States, there’s a phrase that we use that says, ‘we like to train the way that we fight.’ And it’s important to do that on a regular basis.”

By PAROMITA PAIN