New Delhi, Oct 10: The Indian Navy (IN) would be participating in the Second Phase of Multilateral Maritime Exercise Malabar along with the Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF), Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the United States Navy (USN). The exercise is being conducted in the Bay of Bengal from October 12-15. First Phase of the exercise was conducted in the Phillipines Sea from August 26 – 29 this year.

The Indian Navy’s participation includes INS Ranvijay, INS Satpura, P8I Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft and a Submarine. The US Navy will be represented by the Aircraft Carrier USS Carl Vinson along with two destroyers, USS Lake Champlain and USS Stockdale. The JMSDF will be represented by JS Kaga and JS Murasame. Whilst, the Royal Australian Navy will be represented by HMAS Ballarat and HMAS Sirius.

The Second Phase of the exercise would build upon the synergy, coordination and inter-operability developed during the First Phase of the exercise and would focus on advanced surface and anti-submarine warfare exercises, seamanship evolutions and weapon firings.

The Malabar series of exercises, which began as an annual bilateral naval exercise between India and the US in 1992, has seen increasing scope and complexity over the years. The 25th edition of MALABAR, being conducted in two phases, while observing all protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic, is reflective of the commitment of the participating countries to support a free, open, inclusive Indo-Pacific as well as a rules-based international order.