QUAD Navies To Commence Malabar Joint Drills From August 11, To Practice Closing Sea Lanes For Chinese Submarines

The Malabar series of naval exercises, involving India, Japan, the US, and Australia, is set to commence off the eastern coast of Australia with a focus anti-submarine warfare.

These joint drills will also see training on air defence, sea operations, and coordinated maneuvers.

Hosted by the Australian Navy, the 10-day event will take place from 11 to 21 August, beginning with a harbour phase in Sydney followed by sea exercises.

Australia will deploy two warships, HMAS Choules and HMAS Brisbane, while the Indian Navy will participate with INS Kolkata and INS Sahyadri.

The US and Japan will each send a warship to the exercises.

Apart from Japan, the rest three countries will field Boeing P8I maritime surveillance aircraft from their respective fleets.

Unlike previous editions, this year's exercise will not feature submarines or aircraft carriers. However, it will involve high-end complexity in various domains of warfare, including sea, under-sea, and air operations, as well as air-defence scenarios.

These P-8Is anti-submarine warfare will play a crucial role along with warships in practicing complex manuevers for detecting submarines trying to move from the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean.

The four nations, India, Japan, the US, and Australia, also form the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD), which advocates for a free and open Indo-Pacific region and opposes any attempts to challenge sea and air navigation.

The Malabar series of maritime exercises, initiated in 1992, has evolved in complexity over the years and serves as a demonstration of the participating countries' commitment to regional security and cooperation.