Malabar Naval Exercise 2020 – Burning Issues – Free PDF Download

Question

Q) The Malabar naval exercise is held

1. Annually
2. Biennially
3. Triennially
4. Quadrennially

Malabar

Q) Malabar is an ANNUAL naval exercise involving

1. India
2. USA
3. Japan
4. Australia*

• as permanent partners

History

• 1992 – Originally began as a bilateral exercise between India and the United States. Held thrice till 1997.
• 1998- Discontinued due to India’s Nuclear tests.
• 2002 – Started again
• 2007 – Japan, Australia and Singapore joined too.
• 2015 – Japan became a permanent partner
• 2020 – Australia will be a part again.

Location

• 2007 – Off the coast of Japan
• 2018 – Off the coast of Guam in the Philippine Sea
• 2019 – Off the coast of Japan
• NOT held off the Malabar coast always**

Australia

• The last and the only time the Australian Navy had participated in this exercise was in 2007.
• At the time, Malabar 2007 had provoked issuing of demarche to India by China due to participation of Australia.
• Whether Australia’s participation this year is a one-off incident or it will continue to be part of Malabar going forward?
• The MoD has stated that Australia will be part of Malabar 2020 but has not commented on the future.

Malabar 2020

• The 24th edition of Malabar exercise will be held in November in two phases.
• In view of the Covid-19 pandemic, it will be conducted as a ‘non-contact, at sea only’

Phase-1 – Will commence off the coast of Vishakhapatnam in the Bay of Bengal

from 3 to 6 November.

Phase 2 – Scheduled to be conducted in the Arabian Sea on 17-20 November.

• The first phase of Malabar 2020 will witness

1.  complex and advanced naval exercises,
2.  including surface, anti-submarine and anti-air warfare operations,
3. cross-deck flying,
4. seamanship evolutions
5. and weapon-firing drills.

• Indian Navy vessels that will be part of this joint maritime exercise are

INS Ranvijay (Destroyer)

INS Shivalik (frigate)

INS Sukanya (off-shore patrol vessel)

INS Shakti (fleet support ship)

INS Sindhuraj (submarine)

• The Indian Air Force’s aircraft and choppers will also be a part of the first phase of Malabar 2020 –

1. Hawk (Advanced Jet Trainer)
2. P-8I (long-range maritime patrol aircraft)
3. Dornier maritime patrol

USS John S McCain (guided-missile destroyer)

Australia’s HMS Ballarat – Long range frigate

Japan’s JS Onami – Destroyer

Importance of Malabar 2020

• This joint maritime exercise will showcase the high-levels of synergy and coordination between the 4 friendly navies based on their shared values and commitment to an open, inclusive Indo-Pacific.
• This will formally bring together the militaries of the four countries in the Quad group– All Members of QUAD will take part for the first* time.

Countering Chinese Naval presence in IOR

• 2008 – China has maintained a regular naval presence in IOR region
• 2017 – China’s first foreign military base in Djibouti
• This is the first Malabar exercise since India signed mutual logistics pacts with all three participating countries.

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