Malabar Naval Exercises 2020 has begun in Bay of Bengal this week. This is for the first time that Australia is participating in this mega naval drill along with India, US, and Japan after 2007, in a reflection of developing harmonization in the decisive security interests of four nations which are parts of the Quad. This exercise is taking place at a time when India and China are facing each other in a nearly six-months-long bitter border stand-off in eastern Ladakh, that has substantially strained their ties.

An official in the know of the matter stated that the first phase of the Malabar exercises would see complicated and progressive naval drills consisting of anti-submarine and anti-air warfare operations. They also added that cross–deck flying as well as weapon firing operations are also included as parts of this Quad exercise.

Phase-1 of the 24 ^th edition of the Malabar Naval Exercises  is being organized as a “ non-contact at sea only” affair in the context of the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID19) disease. An official familiar with the development, stated that the first phase will see the contributions of Indian Navy units with USN Ship USS John S McCain (a guided –missile destroyer), RAN Ship HMAS Ballarat (long-range frigate) with integral MH-60 helicopter, and JMSDF Ship JS Onami (destroyer) with an integral SH-60 helicopter .

The Malabar Naval exercise, which started in 1992 as a bilateral exercise between India and US, welcomed Japan as a stable member in 2015. On October 20 this year, it was declared that Australia would be taking part in this year’s exercise. Australia last participated in the Malabar Naval exercises in 2007.

Rajput class destroyer INS Ranvijay, Multi-role stealth frigate INS Shivalik, off-shore patrol vessel INS Sukanya, Deepak class fleet tanker INS Shakti and Sindhughosh class diesel electric submarine-INS Sindhuraj are being incorporated in the exercises by the Indian side. According to the Australian defense minister Linda Reynolds, Malabar 2020 comes as a prominent landmark military cooperation game for the Australian Defense Force (ADF). The Minister also added that high-end military exercises like MALABAR are key to intensify Australia’s maritime capabilities, building on communication with the close partners and manifesting the collaboration to support an open and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

The author is a member of Amity Centre of Happiness