Indian Navy sending two warships for Malabar naval exercise hosted by Sydney

MALABAR series of maritime exercises commenced in 1992 as a bilateral exercise between the Indian Navy and the US Navy and has grown in stature over the years to include four prominent navies in the Indo-Pacific Region.

New Delhi: Indian Navy's indigenous frontline warships INS Sahyadri and INS Kolkata are all set to participate in Exercise MALABAR scheduled to take place in Sydney in Australia from 11-21 August along with ships and aircraft from the US Navy (USN), Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) and the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

MALABAR series of maritime exercises commenced in 1992 as a bilateral exercise between the Indian Navy and the US Navy and has grown in stature over the years to include four prominent navies in the Indo-Pacific Region. The 2020 edition witnessed the maiden participation of the RAN. This year marks the 27th edition of MALABAR which is being hosted by RAN.

MALABAR 2023 is scheduled to be conducted in two phases. The Harbour Phase involves wide-ranging activities such as cross-deck visits, professional exchanges, sports fixtures and several interactions for planning and conduct of the Sea Phase. The Sea Phase will include various complex and high-intensity exercises in all three domains of warfare, encompassing anti-surface, anti-air and anti-submarine exercises including live weapon firing drills.

The exercise provides an opportunity for the Indian Navy to enhance and demonstrate interoperability and also gain from the best practices in maritime security operations from its partner nations.

INS Sahyadri is the third ship of the indigenously designed and built Project-17 class multi-role stealth frigates and is presently commanded by Captain Rajan Kapoor. INS Kolkata is the first ship of the indigenously designed and built Project-15A class destroyers and is commanded by Captain Sharad Sinsunwal.

Both ships have been built at Mazagon Dock Limited, Mumbai and are fitted with an array of weapons and sensors to detect and neutralise threats in surface, air and underwater domains. The Malabar exercises highlight the convergence of views among the participating countries on maritime issues and their shared commitment to an open, inclusive Indo-Pacific and a rules-based international order.

The previous, 26th, edition of the multinational maritime exercise MALABAR 22 culminated in the seas off Japan on 15 November 2022. This edition also marked the 30th anniversary of the exercise and was hosted by the JMSDF.