Australia welcomes key partners India, Japan and the United States to Sydney as it prepares to host Exercise Malabar for the first time. Exercise Malabar is an important Indo-Pacific military exercise that seeks to deepen interoperability between participating regional partners. This year marks the 27th iteration of the Malabar series and will be held in the Sydney and across Australia’s east from 10 to 21 August. Royal Australian Navy Ships HMAS Brisbane and HMAS Choules are participating in the exercise, with Navy MH60R helicopters and Royal Australian Air Force F-35A Lightning II, Hawk 127 and P-8A Poseidon aircraft. They will join partner nations in high-end training including air defence and anti-submarine exercises, aviation, communications and replenishment at sea between ships.
Chief of the Royal Australian Navy, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, AO said:“The Royal Australian Navy is honoured the Indian Navy has provided us the opportunity to host Exercise Malabar; reinforcing the trust and strength of our Navy to Navy relationship.This esteemed exercise provides rich opportunities for our people to work and train together, to be prepared as high-functioning teams ready to face the complex challenges of the maritime domain. “Exercise Malabar is an investment in Australia’s Navy to Navy relationships, as well as the relationship between the four Navies involved. In this way we complement diplomatic efforts to deepen our regional ties and contribute to a region based on trust and respect.”
Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Richard Marles MP said: “It is an honour to host Exercise Malabar for the first time here in Australia. Amid the current strategic circumstances, it is more important than ever we partner with our neighbours, and deepen our defence partnerships. Cooperation, shared understanding and knowledge coupled with training contributes to shared security and prosperity for our region.”
Exercise Malabar is a naval exercise involving the United States, Japan and India as permanent partners. The annual Malabar exercises includes diverse activities, ranging from fighter combat operations from aircraft carriers through maritime interdiction operations, anti-submarine warfare, diving salvage operations, amphibious operations, counter-piracy operations, cross–deck helicopter landings and anti–air warfare operations. Over the years, the exercise has been conducted in the Philippine Sea, off the coast of Japan, the Persian Gulf, in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.
