Malabar Naval exercise begins, makes China nervous

The first phase of the Malabar exercises will be kick-starting today in the Bay of Bengal. The is the first Malabar exercise after the formation of the Quad coalition comprising India, the US, Japan and Australia. The exercise holds the significance as it is happening in the backdrop of growing global concern over Chinese aggressive expansionism oriented moves in the Indo-Pacific region on both land and sea.

The Australian is participation in the Malabar naval exercise after 13 years is a serious reflection of the growing consensus among India, the US, Japan and Australia in matters of strategic interests based on Chinese threats. For India, the Malabar exercise underlines its emergence in the global geostrategic prominence. The fact that China has severely strained its relations with the US, Japan and even Australia, will be an advantage to India for which its ties with China is at an all-time low.

The first phase of the Malabar exercise began on Tuesday and is a three-day during November 3-6 in the Bay of Bengal. This phase of the Malabar exercise would witness complex and advanced naval exercises including surface, anti-submarine and anti-air warfare operations, besides cross deck flying, seamanship evolutions and weapon firing drills, the Indian Navy said.

The second phase of the Malabar exercise will be held in the Arabian Sea during November 17-20. 

The Malabar exercise began between the Indian Navy and the US Navy in 1992. It was then a bilateral naval drill in the Indian Ocean. Australia and Japan became partners later on. But as Australia drifted away, Japan became a permanent member of the exercise in 2015. Being undertaken during Covid-19 times, this year’s Malabar exercise is a ‘non-contact, at sea only’ drill

The Indian Navy has deployed destroyer Ranvijay, frigate Shivalik, off-shore patrol vessel Sukanya, fleet support ship Shakti, submarine Sindhuraj, advanced jet trainer Hawk, long-range maritime patrol aircraft P-8I, and Dornier maritime patrol aircraft among others.

The main American attraction is the US Navy ship USS John S McCain, a guided-missile destroyer. From the Australian Navy's side is the long-range frigate HMAS Ballarat with integral MH-60 helicopter. The Japan Maritime Self Defence Force's JS Onami, a destroyer is another key platform taking part in the Malabar exercise.

The exercise is certain to make china nervous. The country has been sceptical about the purpose of the Malabar exercise as it understands that the annual drill is an effort to contain its influence in the Indo-Pacific region. It has issued a statement expressing hope that the quadrilateral Malabar exercises involving navies of India, the U.S., Japan and Australia would be conducive to the regional peace and stability instead of the contrary.