The high-voltage Malabar exercise featuring the navies of all the four Quad nations – India, the US, Australia and Japan – began off the coast of Guam on Thursday in the backdrop of a resolve by the four countries to strengthen a free and open cooperation. In view of China’s rude behavior in the Indo-Pacific region.
The US Seventh Fleet said in a statement that the exercise demonstrates the commitment between like-minded countries to maintain a rules-based maritime order in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Indian Navy has deployed its stealth frigate INS Shivalik, anti-submarine frigate INS Kadmat and a fleet of P8I maritime surveillance aircraft in the 25th edition of the mega exercise.
The US Pacific Fleet’s Earle Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Barry, maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft from the Naval Special Warfare Force, Task Force 72, and Military Sealift Command’s Henry J Kaiser-class ongoing replenishment oiler USNS Rappnock among assets deployed by are from. US Navy in exercise.
Under the Commander, US Pacific Fleet, the 7th Fleet is the US Navy’s largest forward-diploid numbered fleet and regularly interacts and operates with 35 maritime nations to preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
“Malabar-21 will witness complex exercises including anti-surface, anti-air and anti-submarine warfare exercises, and other maneuvers and tactical exercises. Indian Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said, the exercise will provide an opportunity to the participating navies to benefit from each other’s expertise and experiences.
The US 7th Fleet said the first phase of the exercise is an opportunity for the four Indo-Pacific navies to work together to strengthen their skills in “joint maritime operations, anti-submarine warfare missions, aerial warfare missions, live-fire gunnery events”. have the opportunity. replenishment-at-sea and cross-deck flight operations.”
“Malabar 21 is an excellent opportunity to conduct multi-national training to improve combat and maritime security skills,” said Captain Chase Sargent, Commander of Task Force (CTF) 71 of the US 7th Fleet.
“The American destroyers, together with our allies and allies, build the foundation for regional security and stability that benefits all Indo-Pacific countries,” he said.
In a dialogue session at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), Commander Admiral John Aquilino of the US Indo-Pacific Command on Wednesday talked about the major challenges facing the Indo-Pacific and China’s rapid military build-up, including in the maritime sector. Got engrossed.
Admiral Aquilino also hinted at the possibility of an increase in the number of participants in the Malabar naval exercise, if the leaders of the four participating countries agree.
Following India’s invitation, Australia participated in the Malabar exercise last year, which effectively made it an exercise by all four member states of the Quad.
China has been skeptical about the purpose of the Malabar exercise as it feels the annual war games are an attempt to control its influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Malabar exercise began in 1992 as a bilateral exercise between the Indian Navy and the US Navy in the Indian Ocean. Japan became a permanent member of the exercise in 2015. This annual exercise was conducted off the coast of Guam in 2018 and off the coast of Japan in 2019.
Last year, the exercise was conducted in two phases in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. Global concerns are growing about China’s growing military assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.
India, America, Australia, Japan and many other like-minded countries are working towards ensuring a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific.
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