The navies of India, the United States, Japan and Australia will kick off the second phase of the Malabar exercise in the northern Arabian Sea on Tuesday as China closely follows the activities of the Quad countries and seeks to increase its footprint. in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), officials said Monday.
The second phase of the Malabar naval exercises, which will take place from November 17 to 20, will be more elaborate and complex than the first, as it will feature the participation of Indian and American aircraft carriers.
“Phase 2 of Exercise Malabar 2020 will witness joint operations focused on the Vikramaditya Carrier Battle Group of the Indian Navy and the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group of the United States Navy. The two aircraft carriers, along with other ships, submarines and aircraft from the participating navies, will engage in high intensity naval operations for four days, ”a spokesman for the Indian Navy said on Monday.
The exercise takes place at a time when India and China are locked in a border row in the Ladakh sector and talks to reduce military tensions remain stalled.
The first phase of the exercise took place in the Bay of Bengal from 3 to 6 November. The exercise is being carried out in a ‘no contact, only at sea’ format in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The second phase of the drills will include flight operations through the deck and advanced air defense exercises of INS Vikramaditya’s MiG-29K fighters and USS Nimitz’s F-18 fighters and the E2C Hawkeye aircraft, officials said.
The drill will cover advanced surface and anti-submarine warfare exercises, and gun fire to “further enhance interoperability and synergy between the four friendly navies,” the spokesman said.
Indian warships participating in the exercise include the indigenous destroyers INS Kolkata and INS Chennai, the stealth frigate INS Talwar, the INS Deepak fleet support ship, and comprehensive helicopters. Rear Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, the flag officer in command of the Western Fleet, will lead the Indian Navy during the exercise, which will also feature the locally-built INS Khanderi submarine and the P-8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft.
The USS Nimitz will be accompanied by the cruiser USS Princeton and the destroyer USS Sterett, and the US Navy P-8A maritime reconnaissance aircraft will also participate in the drills. Her Majesty’s Australian (HMAS) Ballarat (long-range frigate) with its integral MH-60 helicopter will also participate in the exercise. The last time India invited Australia as a non-permanent partner of Malabar was in 2007, a move that sparked strong reactions in China.
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The statement from the Indian Navy said that the Japanese Navy would participate in the drills, without giving details of their participation. The Japanese destroyer Onami with its integral SH-60 helicopter had participated in the first phase of the drills.
“The 24th edition of Malabar highlights a greater convergence of views among the four vibrant democracies on maritime issues and shows their commitment to an open, inclusive Indo-Pacific and a rules-based international order,” the spokesperson said.
China has distrusted the Quadrilateral or Quad security dialogue that was revived in late 2017 by India, the US, Australia and Japan, and these suspicions have increased since the four countries raised the forum to ministerial level last year.
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Speaking at an event on November 6, the chief of the navy, Admiral Karambir Singh, said that a “great competition for power” was unfolding “quite vigorously” at IOR. The navy has stepped up surveillance and activities at the IOR to control China’s ambitions.
“IOR is one of the most militarized regions … In addition, there are different interpretations of international laws and there is a fear that ‘Global Commons’ could change to ‘Disputed seas’, threatening the free flow of trade and commerce”, said the chief of the navy. .
The exercise follows the Quad foreign ministers meeting in Tokyo on October 6 and follows the two-plus-two dialogue between India and the United States on October 26-27.
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