India to host four-nation Malabar naval exercise from Oct 8 to 18

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India will host the four-nation Malabar naval exercise beginning Tuesday amid evolving security situation in the region.

The navies of India, the US, Australia and Japan will carry out a series of complex naval drills during the 'sea phase' of the mega wargame.

"Exercise Malabar 2024 is scheduled to take place from October 8 to 18, beginning with the Harbour Phase in Visakhapatnam, followed by the sea phase," the Indian Navy announced on Saturday.

The Malabar exercise, which began in 1992 as a bilateral naval drill between the US and the Indian Navy, has evolved into a key multilateral event aimed at enhancing interoperability, fostering mutual understanding and addressing shared maritime challenges in the Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific region.

The exercise will feature the participation of various Indian naval platforms, including guided missile destroyers, multi-purpose frigates, submarines, fighter aircraft and helicopters.

"The exercise will focus on a broad range of activities designed to enhance cooperation and operational capabilities, including discussions on special operations, surface, air, and anti-submarine warfare through a Subject Matter Expert Exchange (SMEE)," the Navy said.

"Complex maritime operations such as anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare, and air defense exercises will be conducted at sea, with an emphasis on improving situational awareness in the maritime domain," it said in a statement.