Four Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F-35 fighters jets joined the 27th edition of Malabar naval exercise involving Australia, India, Japan and the U.S., which concluded on the east coast of Australia off Sydney on Monday. Australia hosted the multilateral exercise for the first time.
Four RAAF F-35s and two Hawk advanced jet trainers joined the sea phase of the exercise, a diplomatic source said. The exercise was held from August 11-21 consisting of harbour and sea phases.
“At the culmination of five days of multifarious exercises, Exercise Malabar vividly showcased the strong cooperation, shared values and the collective ability of the four participating nations to ensure a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific, promoting peace and security for all,” the Indian Navy said in a statement. The exercise saw participation of ships, submarines and aircraft from the Indian Navy, Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) and the U.S. Navy (USN), it stated.
Two phases
The harbour phase was conducted from August 11 to 15 and the sea phase from August 16 to 21 for which the Indian Navy had fielded destroyer INS Kolkata, frigate INS Sahyadri and P-8I maritime patrol aircraft. Other participating units included RAN ships, HMAS Choules and HMAS Brisbane, USS Raphael Peralta, JS Shiranui, along with “submarines, fighter aircraft, maritime patrol aircraft and shipborne helicopters,” the Navy said. “While the ships sailed out for the sea phase from Sydney harbour, the air assets operated from RAAF Amberley Brisbane, where the P-8I Dets involving IN, RAAF and US P-8 crew were stationed,” it stated.
The two Indian Naval ships will now join the India-Australia bilateral exercise AUSINDEX from August 22 to 24.
Meanwhile, in the maiden deployment of an Indian Navy submarine to Australia, Scorpene-class submarine INS Vagir reached Fremantle on the west coast of Australia on August 20.
Stating that the sea phase of Malabar exercise witnessed complex and high intensity exercises in air, surface and undersea domains, weapon firings and cross-deck helicopter operations, the Navy said, “The joint exercises at sea honed the war-fighting skills and enhanced interoperability between the four navies to undertake advanced maritime operations.”
The seamless integration of air assets also showcased the “exceptional coordination and interoperability” between the Indian, Australian and U.S. maritime patrol aircraft units, the Navy said. The exercise not only reaffirmed the ability of the four navies to operate together as an integrated force but also highlighted their shared commitment to maritime security and regional stability through collaborative training and mutual understanding, it added.
