26th edition of Malabar 22 draws to a close in Japan with tactical drills

The five-day-long event sa­w the participation of an Australian submarine, and 11 surface ships including a US Navy nuclear-powered aircraft carrier with its integral air elements

The 26th edition of the multinational Exercise Malabar culminated in the seas off Japan on Friday, marking the 30th anniversary of the event hosted this year by the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF).

Exercise Malabar began in 1992 as a bilateral exercise, featuring the maritime forces of the US and India. In 2014, the en­try of the JMSDF made it a trilateral exercise. In 2020, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) also joined Malabar, making it a quadrilateral exercise.

Beijing views Malabar as an anti-China grouping, formed by a “concert of democracies”. However, public statements from the participating countries express