News Highlight
Australia to host Malabar naval exercise for the first time this August.
Key Takeaway
- For the first time this year, Australia will host the Malabar multilateral naval exercise, including India, Australia, Japan, and the United States.
- “Malabar 2023 is scheduled to be held in August, and Australia will host this edition,” official sources confirmed.
Malabar Naval Exercise
- About
- The Experiment Malabar is a naval exercise between the navy of India, the United States, and Japan.
- Australia has also participated in the ‘Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) exercise in recent years.
- The drill is taking conducted in the Indian Ocean.
- The drill can take 6 to 14 sea days, depending on the complexity and missions involved.
- The exercise is named after Malabar, a coastal region in South-West India where the US Navy (USN) and Indian Navy (IN) first performed it in 1992.
- Japan joined the exercise as a permanent member in 2015.
Features of Exercise
- This is a three-way naval exercise.
- It has, however, become a quadrilateral exercise due to Australia’s involvement in 2020 and 2021.
- Every year, it alternates between the Indian and Pacific Seas.
- In 2007, the first Malabar Exercise was held in the Bay of Bengal.
- Previously, Singapore and Australia served as non-permanent members.
- This exercise includes a variety of tasks, such as fighter combat missions and maritime interdiction operations.
- The Malabar Exercise between India, the United States, Japan, and Australia aims to collaborate for a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific.
Objectives of Malabar Exercise
- The fundamental purpose of conducting naval drills such as the Malabar Exercise is to increase India’s and other countries maritime defence cooperation.
- According to the Indian government, the Malabar Exercise aims to increase the participating warships’ interoperability.
- Furthermore, the exercise helps the participating fleets practise and understand the SOPS of Security Operations in each other’s Maritime security norms.
- These exercises also help to foster teamwork in disaster relief, rescue operations, maritime water safety, and other areas.
Participation of Australia
- The Australian Navy took part in Phase II of Malabar 2007 for the first time.
- As a result, China asked the QUAD nations for a diplomatic explanation.
- Even when Australia wished to join Malabar, India was unwilling to accept it for the same reason.
- Following the October 2020 2+2 summit between US and Indian defence leaders, it was decided to include Australia in Malabar.
- At the 2020 edition of Malabar, Australia was one of the QUAD members.
- The Indian administration declared they are embracing Australia for sovereignty and protecting state and international waterways.
- The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) represents Australia in the exercise.
Conclusion
- The exercise has recently risen in size, scope, and complexity, with anti-submarine warfare training emerging as a key priority area.
- Especially given the Chinese Navy’s rapid expansion and increased incursions into the Indian Ocean.
- In addition to concluding all basic agreements, India’s expanding procurement of military platforms from the United States has boosted platform commonality.
Pic Courtesy: The Hindu
Content Source: The Hindu