26th edition of ‘Exercise Malabar’ among navies of Quad countries comes to an end

A tweet from the JMSDF about the exercise read, “Through this exercise, JMSDF have improved interoperability with the partner navies and continue to promote the maintenance and strengthening of maritime order to realise a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.”

The sea phase of Exercise Malabar 2022 was conducted over a period of five days near Yokosuka and witnessed live weapon firings, surface, anti-air and anti-submarine warfare drills and tactical procedures. Another highlight of the sea phase was the conduct of ‘War at Sea’ exercise, which enabled all four navies to consolidate interoperability and hone their tactical skills. “The high-tempo exercise saw the participation of eleven surface ships including a nuclear powered aircraft carrier with its integral air elements, along with four long-range maritime patrol aircraft, integral helicopters and two submarines. The exercise also involved exchange of ‘Sea Riders’ between various participating ships.” said a press statement from the Indian Navy.

Apart from operational drills and exercises, the bilateral logistics support agreements between the participating countries were validated during this edition of Exercise Malabar. “The exercise helped enhance understanding of each other’s operational methodologies and ability to co-operate to tackle myriad maritime challenges,” said the Indian Navy release.