Sea phase of multilateral exercise comes to a close

Visakhapatnam : As the sea phase of ‘Malabar-2024’ concluded in Visakhapatnam, the multilateral exercise witnessed participation of warships with their integral helicopters, long range maritime patrol aircraft and submarine. The edition saw units participating in complex and advanced exercises in the domains of surface, sub-surface and air warfare.

Major exercises included surface weapon firings, anti-air shoots, air defence exercises, anti-submarine warfare exercises, extensive operations of ship-borne helicopters, seamanship evolutions including fuelling from tankers and maritime interdiction operations.As the world grapples with increasingly complex maritime security challenges, the sea phase of ‘Malabar-2024’ serves as a testament to the commitment of participating nations towards enhancing understanding, collaboration and engagement in the maritime domain.

The second phase of the exercise culminated on October 18 (Friday) and the closing ceremony included a review of operational aspects of the sea phase, and enabling all participating navies to interact and exchange views by sharing experiences and best practices. As part of the sea phase of the ‘Malabar-2024’, naval warships, integral helicopters and long-range maritime patrol aircraft from Australia, India, Japan and USA exercised in unison along the Bay of Bengal, exhibiting a high-level of collaboration and operational synergy.

Started off with the harbour phase, the multilateral exercise included participation of quad nations -- India, the US, Australia and Japan.

Hosted under the aegis of the Eastern Naval Command, Visakhapatnam, the exercise has evolved into a significant event to enhance interoperability, foster mutual understanding and address shared maritime challenges in the Indo-Pacific Region and work together to make the region safer and more inclusive. The participating navies engaged in a wide range of maritime warfare operations, covering the surface, sub-surface, and air warfare domains. The advanced and complex exercises were designed to enhance mutual understanding and coordination, operating seamlessly as a combined task force at sea.