Malabar 2017: US leads biggest drills with India, Japan to counter China

This would help the three countries tackle maritime threats in the Asia-Pacific region

A US aircraft carrier strike group began naval exercises with India and Japan on Monday that the US navy said would help the three countries tackle maritime threats in the Asia-Pacific region.

The annual exercises named Malabar are being held off India. They are the largest since India and the United States launched the exercise in 1992. Japan was later included.

"Malabar 2017 is the latest in a continuing series of exercises that has grown in scope and complexity over the years to address the variety of shared threats to maritime security in the Indo-Asia Pacific," the US Pacific command