Australia is all set to join India, the United States, and Japan and next once Navy exercises that are to be taking place in the Indian ocean. This is a move that is expected to strengthen the military relationship between these democracies as the camaraderie between these Nations continue to weaken with China.
Australia is officially a part of the Quad, or the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, which is an allegiance between the aforementioned countries, dealing with regular summits and information exchanges as well as military-related exercises as the one currently taking place. This is a potential balance to the increasing influence of the Chinese forces in the Asia Pacific region, despite not being a formal alliance like NATO.
It is significant to note that Australia will be participating in these exercises after 2007, and it is the first time since then that all the four members of the Quad will officially be present for an exercise as such. These manoeuvres have been conducted ever since 1992, and it has greatly added on over the course of time as a “variety of shared threats to Maritime security in Indo-Asia Pacific region” continues to rise.
Malabar began as a bilateral exercise between India and the US. Japan became a permanent Malabar member in 2015. Previous exercises have taken place in the Indian Ocean as well as off the coast of Japan a year ago, and around the US Pacific territory of Guam and in the Philippine Sea in 2018. Malabar began as a bilateral exercise between India and the US. Japan became a permanent Malabar member in 2015.