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.
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The first Malabar Exercise in the Bay of Bengal took place in 2007.
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In 2015, the exercise was expanded to a trilateral format with the inclusion of the Japanese Navy.
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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:
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Enhancing interoperability among participating navies
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Fostering mutual understanding
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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:
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Operational planning and discussions
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Alignment of communication protocols
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Familiarisation visits among personnel of different navies
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Sports fixtures to build camaraderie
2. Sea Phase
In the sea phase, all participating ships and aircraft conduct naval drills, which include:
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Joint fleet operations
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Anti-submarine warfare
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Gunnery exercises
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Flying operations
Significance
Exercise Malabar enhances strategic cooperation, strengthens regional maritime security, and promotes coordination in addressing shared threats in the Indo-Pacific region.