The Trump administration has dropped “Indo” from the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), restoring its previous name, U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM). The move reverses a 2018 decision by President Donald Trump’s first administration to rename the command in recognition of the growing strategic importance of the Indian Ocean and India’s role in the region.
No official reason has been given for the change, though some reports have linked it to strained ties between the United States and India.
When the command was renamed to USINDOPACOM in 2018, the move was widely viewed as a signal of India’s rising importance to the Pentagon and Washington’s broader strategic focus on the Indo-Pacific. For New Delhi, the change also represented an important institutional framework for expanding defense cooperation with the United States.
The Defense department stressed that the renaming does not alter the Command’s operational role, strategic mission or geographic scope. According to the statement, USPACOM’s area of responsibility — extending from waters off the western coast of the U.S. to India’s western boundary — remains unchanged.
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Announcing the name change on May 31, 2018, former U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis said, “Relationships with our Pacific and Indian Ocean allies and partners have proven critical to maintaining regional stability,” adding, “In recognition of the increasing connectivity between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, today we rename the US Pacific Command to US Indo-Pacific Command.”
At the time, the Defense Department emphasized that the renaming would not alter the command’s operational role, strategic mission, or geographic scope. According to the department, the command’s area of responsibility — stretching from waters off the western coast of the United States to India’s western boundary — would remain unchanged.
The department also said its commitment to maintaining a “free and open theatre alongside regional allies and partners” would continue without interruption.
The move prompted political reactions in India, with Congress MP Shashi Tharoor asking on social media, “One more nail in the coffin of the Quad?” — a reference to the strategic grouping of Australia, India, Japan, and the United States.
The decision also sparked criticism after the command displayed a map on its official website that depicted Pakistan-administered Kashmir as part of Pakistan in its “Area of Responsibility Map” section.
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The developments come against a backdrop of growing strains in U.S.-India relations. Earlier this month, three Indian sailors were killed in an encounter involving the U.S. Navy off the coast of Oman. India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar raised the issue directly with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a phone call last Friday, reiterating what he described as India’s “strong protest.” In a subsequent social media post, Jaishankar wrote that “such lethal actions against commercial shipping are not justified.”
Rubio reportedly responded by warning his Indian counterpart that all commercial vessels must immediately comply with U.S. orders in the Strait of Hormuz and that “violations of the US blockade and illicit transport of Iranian oil will not be tolerated.”
Despite the tensions, President Donald Trump met Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bilateral talks in France on Wednesday. Asked whether India would play a role in West Asia, Trump replied, “Yeah I do, I think India plays a big role in everything. As long he (Modi) is the leader, India plays a big role.”