QUAD Wargame exercise Malabar 2022 begins in Japan

Tokyo: The Multilateral Exercise Malabar 2022 among the navies of the Quad countries, India, Japan, US and Australia, commenced on Wednesday with the opening ceremony hosted by the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) onboard JS Hyuga at Yokosuka of Japan.
Rear Admiral Sanjay Bhalla led the Indian delegation comprising Commanding Officers and the crew of warships INS Shivalik and INS Kamorta, Indian Navy said.
Vice Admiral Yuasa Hideki Commander in Chief, Self Defense Fleet, JMSDF; V.Adm. Karl Thomas Commander, US Navy Seventh Fleet and Rear Admiral Jonathan Earley, Commander of the Australian Fleet also participated in the ceremony along with personnel from their respective navies.
The Malabar series of maritime exercises commenced in 1992 and has grown in complexity over the years, it includes four prominent navies in the Indo-Pacific Region, the Indian Navy said.
Malabar 2022 will witness high-tempo exercises between participating platforms in multiple domains. Complex surface, sub-surface and air operations, including live firing drills are scheduled during the exercise.
The participating Indian Naval Ships Shivalik and Kamorta are indigenously designed and developed multi-role Guided Missile Stealth Frigate and Anti–Submarine Corvette respectively and form part of the Indian Navy’s Eastern Fleet based at Visakhapatnam.
The Eastern Fleet Commander, Rear Admiral Sanjay Bhalla will have operational discussions with Commander, US Seventh Fleet and Commander Escort Force 3 (JMSDF) as part of naval wargame.
Ahead of the commencement of Malabar Exercise, the Navy chiefs of the four countries- India, Australia, Japan and the US- met in Japan on November 5 and exchanged views on further enhancing inter-operability in future editions of the Malabar Exercise.
Beijing views Malabar as an anti-China grouping, however, the participating countries have, time and again, expressed intentions to safeguard the global commons and freedom of navigation rather than joining forces against a common enemy.
Malabar multilateral naval exercise is taking place amid China’s growing aggressiveness in the Indo-Pacific and at a time when North Korea- an ally of China- firing record numbers of missiles. (UNI)