Four Australian F-35 Jets Join Malabar Naval Exercise

Relevance: GS 2 - Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

(Source: The Hindu, 08/22/23)

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Why in the news?

The 31st Malabar exercise involved India, Australia, Japan, and the U.S. It was hosted by Australia for the first time. It was held in Sydney from August 11-21.

About Malabar Exercise

• The Malabar naval exercise began in 1992 as a bilateral activity between India and the United States.
• It was temporarily suspended after 1996 due to India's nuclear tests, but resumed in 2002 and has since taken place annually.
• Japan and Australia joined in 2007, and from 2014 onwards, India, the US, and Japan participated consistently.
• Japan joined the naval exercise in 2015 as a permanent member, and Malabar became a trilateral exercise.
• Australia was included as a permanent member of Ex. Malabar in 2020 amid the stand-off with China in Eastern Ladakh.

Significance

• Interoperability: The exercise aims to deepen the interoperability between the key partners who are also members of the Quad or the Quadrilateral security dialogue.
• Indo-pacific partnership: The exercise is also designed to deepen the partnership for the Indo-Pacific, for shared aspiration, for a free, open and resilient Indo-Pacific.
• Strengthening strategic partnership: Malabar exercise enhances naval collaboration among four nations, strengthening strategic partnerships through complex maritime security operations.

How is QUAD linked to the Malabar Exercise?

• Australia, India, Japan, and the United States participate in the Quadrilateral Security conversation (QSD), sometimes known as the Quad, which is a strategic security conversation that is supported by discussions among member countries.
• The conversation was launched in 2007 by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with the support of Australian Prime Minister John Howard, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and US Vice President Dick Cheney.
• Parallel to these talks, the historic combined military exercise known as Malabar Exercise was being conducted.
• The diplomatic and military accord was widely perceived as a response to the rising economic and military power of China.

Joint Exercises conducted by India

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FAQs

MCQ

Question: Malabar Exercise is a multilateral Naval exercise between which of the following countries?

1. Australia
2. India
3. Japan
4. United Kingdom

Choose the correct code from the options given below:

(a)1 and 2 only

(b) 1,2 and 3 only

(c) 1,3 and 4 only

(d) 1,2,3 and 4