Quadrilateral Malabar begins, Australia says ‘natural partners’ with India

New Delhi: The Malabar naval drills, being held in a quadrilateral format this year with the US, Japan and new entrant Australia, kicked off in the Bay of Bengal on Tuesday, with frontline warships and submarines participating in complex exercises that include surface and anti submarine warfare.

Australia, which is participating in the exercises for the first time since 2007, said that Ex Malabar highlights the trust between participating nations and said that it is a natural partner for India in the region. Chinese state-owned media too took note of the exercises and cautioned that they will increase the geopolitical risks in the region.

“Exercise Malabar is an important opportunity to work in concert with like-minded nations to support a secure, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region... India and Australia are natural partners in the Indo-Pacific, and Exercise Malabar is a clear demonstration of the depth of trust and cooperation between our defence organisations,” Australian defence minister Linda Reynolds said.

Indian Navy officials said that INS Ranvijay, Shivalik, Shakti, Sukanya, and submarine Sindhuraj are exercising with USS John S McCain (US), HMAS Ballarat (Australia), and JMSDF Ship JS Onami (Japan) in the first phase of the exercise that will be followed by drills in the Arabian Sea.

“This now-annual exercise includes Japan, and this year Australia, and reaffirms our countries’ commitment to stronger defense cooperation in the Indo Pacific,” the US embassy in India tweeted, announcing the start of the naval drills.

During the exercise, the four participating navies will conduct a range of high-end training, including air defence and anti-submarine exercises, aviation, communications and at-sea replenishment between ships, the Australian government said.

Being conducted in a non contact format due to the Covid-19 crisis, the Malabar is the largest set of naval drills carried out by India on an annual basis. This is the 24th edition of the wargames and will include the advanced jet trainer Hawk, long-range maritime patrol aircraft P-8I and Dornier maritime patrol aircraft, besides helicopters.

Chinese state-owned publication Global Times said that the exercise is aimed against Beijing and will increase risks in the region. “The Malabar exercises claim to counter China's influence, but China will not slow its development because of external turbulence. China's influence is determined by its own development level. It's doubtful whether checking China's rise by QUAD members with their joint exercises in the waters can be realised. However, the risks are increasing that the Indo-Pacific region will become a geopolitical hot spot,” read an article published Tuesday.