The multilateral naval exercise, Malabar 2022, between India, Japan, the United States and Australia began on Wednesday at Yokosuka in Japan.
The opening ceremony was hosted by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) onboard JS Hyuga. Rear Admiral Sanjay Bhalla, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet, led the Indian delegation that included commanding officers and the crew of INS Shivalik and INS Kamorta. Vice Admiral Yuasa Hideki, Commander in Chief, Self Defense Fleet JMSDF, Vice Admiral Karl Thomas, Commander, US Navy Seventh Fleet, and Rear Admiral Jonathan Earley, Commander of Australian Fleet, participated in the ceremony together with personnel from their respective navies.
Indian naval ships Shivalik and Kamorta arrived in Japan on November 2 to participate in exercise Malabar 2022 and International Fleet Review (IFR) conducted by the JMSDF at Yokosuka on Nov 6 to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of its formation. Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral R Hari Kumar is on an official visit to Japan where he witnessed the IFR.
In 1992, Malabar Exercise was started as a bilateral naval exercise between the navies of India and the US. Japan joined the exercise in 2015, making it a trilateral endeavour. In 2020, Australia became part of Malabar, making it a quadrilateral naval exercise. The four countries are also part of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD).
