MALABAR NAVAL EXERCISE (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 - IR)

Context:  The 27th edition of Exercise MALABAR, concluded on the East Coast of Australia off Sydney on 21 Aug 23. 

• The exercise saw participation of Ships, Submarines and aircraft from the Indian Navy (IN), Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) and the US Navy (USN). 
• The Indian Navy was represented by indigenously built Destroyer INS Kolkata, Frigate INS Sahyadri and P8I Maritime Patrol Aircraft. 
• Other participating units included RAN ships HMAS Choules and HMAS Brisbane, USS Raphael Peralta, JS Shiranui, along with submarines, fighter aircraft, maritime patrol aircraft and shipborne helicopters.

Exercise Malabar

• About: It is a trilateral naval exercise but due to the participation of Australia in 2020 & 2021, it has become a quadrilateral exercise.
• Origin: It started off in 1992 as a bilateral naval exercise between Indian and US navies. 
• The first Malabar Exercise in the Bay of Bengal took place in 2007.
• In 2015, Japan joined the exercise Malabar, making it a trilateral naval exercise. 
• In 2020, the Australian Navy had joined the Malabar Exercise, making it a quadrilateral naval exercise.
• Earlier, Australia joined the exercise in 2007.
• Objective: The aim of the Malabar Exercise of India, US, Japan and Australia is to coordinate for free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific.
• Locations: It takes place annually in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans alternatively.
• Non-permanent members: Singapore and Australia have been non-permanent members previously.
• Activities: This exercise includes a diverse range of activities such as fighter combat operations and maritime interdiction operations.

Other Naval Exercises

• INDRA Exercise: It is a bi-annual bilateral exercise between India and Russia that began in 2003.
• Varuna Exercise: It is an annual exercise between India and France usually held in the Indian Ocean or Mediterranean Sea. The last exercise was held in 2021 in the Arabian Sea.
• Milan Exercise: It is a biennial Multilateral event. The last exercise was held in 2018, had a participation of 16 countries. It is usually held in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• IBSAMAR: It is a maritime exercise held by India, South Africa, and Brazil.
• SIMBEX: Held annually between India and Singapore since 1994.
• SLINEX: Between India and Sri Lanka.