Maritime Exercise Malabar 2024, starts on October 8 at Visakhapatnam

India, the United States, Australia, and Japan participated as hosts

INN/Chennai, @Infodeaofficial

The dates of Maritime Exercise Malabar 2024 are set for October 8–18. The Harbour Phase will start in Visakhapatnam and be followed by the Sea Phase. Australia, Japan, and the United States of America will take part in this year’s exercise, which is being hosted by India.

Beginning as a bilateral naval exercise between the US and the Indian Navy in 1992, Exercise Malabar has grown into a significant multilateral gathering with the goals of promoting mutual understanding, improving interoperability, and tackling common maritime issues in the Indo-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions.

Numerous Indian naval platforms, such as guided missile destroyers, multipurpose frigates, submarines, fixed wing MR, fighter planes, and helicopters, would take part in the drill. The United States Navy will field the USS Dewey, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer with an integrated helicopter and P8 Maritime Patrol Aircraft, while Australia will deploy HMAS Stuart, an Anzac Class Frigate with its MH-60R helicopter and P8 Maritime Patrol Aircraft. Japan will participate in the drill using the Murasame-class destroyer JS Ariake. Each of the four countries’ Special Forces will take part in the exercise as well.

Malabar 2024 will centre on a wide range of initiatives aimed at improving collaboration and operational capacities, such as subject matter expert exchange talks on anti-submarine warfare, surface, air, and special operations (SMEE). There will be complex maritime operations at sea, including air defence drills, surface warfare, and anti-submarine warfare, with a focus on enhancing situational awareness in the maritime environment.

On October 9th, during the Harbour Phase, a Distinguished Visitors’ Day is scheduled. Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command, would entertain delegations from all four countries. In addition, as part of the Harbour phase of the exercise, the heads of delegations from each of the participating nations will co-chair a Joint Press Conference.