The three-day quadrilateral naval exercise called the ‘Malabar’ exercise started on Tuesday. This is a military exercise conducted by India, the United States, Japan and Australia in the Bay of Bengal. High-levels of synergy and coordination is expected to be displayed by the navies of the four countries.
An official familiar with the developments told Hindustan Times that, “The first phase will witness the participation of Indian Navy units with USN Ship USS John S McCain (a guided-missile destroyer), RAN Ship HMAS Ballarat (long-range frigate) with integral MH-60 helicopter, and JMSDF Ship JS Onami (destroyer) with an integral SH-60 helicopter.”
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.
This will be the first time that the Quad – which is the term denoting these regional members – are convening for a military drill. A formal invitation is expected to be extended from India’s side to the Australian government next week, following final government clearance and consultations with the U.S. and Japan. The Quad was revived in 2017, which was formed in 2004 in the aftermath of tsunami, to help the nations in the Indo-Pacific region combat its after-effects.