Exercise Malabar

The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri is currently at Guam in the Northern Pacific to participate in the multilateral Exercise Malabar-2025.

About Exercise Malabar

Exercise Malabar is a naval exercise that was initiated in 1992 as a bilateral exercise between the Indian Navy and the United States Navy.

• The first Malabar Exercise in the Bay of Bengal took place in 2007.

• In 2015, the exercise was expanded to a trilateral format with the inclusion of the Japanese Navy.

• In 2020, the Australian Navy joined, making it a quadrilateral naval exercise.

The exercise is conducted annually, alternating between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Over the years, it has evolved into a key multilateral event aimed at:

• Enhancing interoperability among participating navies

• Fostering mutual understanding

• Addressing shared maritime challenges in the Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific region

Structure of Exercise Malabar-2025

Exercise Malabar-2025 is divided into two main phases:

1. Harbour Phase

During the harbour phase, participating navies focus on:

• Operational planning and discussions

• Alignment of communication protocols

• Familiarisation visits among personnel of different navies

• Sports fixtures to build camaraderie

2. Sea Phase

In the sea phase, all participating ships and aircraft conduct naval drills, which include:

• Joint fleet operations

• Anti-submarine warfare

• Gunnery exercises

• Flying operations

Significance

Exercise Malabar enhances strategic cooperation, strengthens regional maritime security, and promotes coordination in addressing shared threats in the Indo-Pacific region.