Maritime Exercise Malabar 2024 is set to commence on October 8 in Visakhapatnam.
Maritime Exercise ‘Malabar 2024’
Maritime Exercise Malabar 2024 is set to commence on October 8 in Visakhapatnam. The exercise, which is hosted by India this year, will also have participation from Quad nations, which include Australia, Japan, and the US. The exercise will take place in two phases, beginning with the Harbour phase in Visakhapatnam, followed by a sea phase.
The exercise will feature participation of various Indian naval platforms, including guided missile destroyers, multi-purpose frigates, submarines, fixed wing MR, fighter aircraft and helicopters.
While Australia will deploy HMAS Stuart, an Anzac Class Frigate with its MH-60R helicopter and P8 Maritime Patrol Aircraft, the United States Navy will field the USS Dewey, an Arleigh Burke-Class Destroyer with its integral helicopter and P8 Maritime Patrol Aircraft. Japan will join the exercise with JS Ariake, a Murasame-class Destroyer. Special Forces from all four nations will also be participating in the Exercise.
Malabar 2024 will focus on a broad range of activities designed to enhance cooperation and operational capabilities, including discussions on special operations, surface, air, and anti-submarine warfare through a Subject Matter Expert Exchange (SMEE).
History
Notably, Exercise ‘Malabar’, which began in 1992 as a bilateral naval drill between the United States and the Indian Navy, has now evolved into a key multilateral event aimed at enhancing interoperability, fostering mutual understanding, and addressing shared maritime challenges in the Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific region.
Quad Grouping
It is the grouping of four democracies –India, Australia, the US, and Japan.
All four nations find a common ground of being democratic nations and also support the common interest of unhindered maritime trade and security.
It aims to ensure and support a “free, open and prosperous” Indo-Pacific region.
PM Modi Attends The Sixth Quad Leaders’ Summit
PM Narendra Modi participated in the 6th Quad Leaders’ Summit in Wilmington, Delaware on 21 September 2024, hosted by the President of the United States of America, H.E. Mr. Joseph R. Biden. These included the launch of a new coast guard exercise, a logistics network, expansion of maritime surveillance, and a project to combat cervical cancer.
Top leaders of Quad unveiled major steps to expand maritime security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and called for lasting peace in Ukraine with PM Modi asserting that the grouping is for a rules-based global order that respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations. The next Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting will be hosted by the US in 2025, and the Quad Leaders’ Summit will be hosted by India in 2025. “The Quad is here to stay,” the declaration said. In 2025, the Quad Regional Ports and Transportation Conference is also likely to be held in Mumbai.
