The 28th edition of the multinational maritime exercise MALABAR 2024 officially concluded with a Closing Ceremony on October 18, 2024, off the coast of Visakhapatnam.The Sea Phase, which commenced on October 14, brought together naval forces from four Indo-Pacific nations; India, the United States, Japan, and Australia to participate in advanced and complex exercises aimed at enhancing maritime security cooperation.
This year's exercises involved warships with integral helicopters, long-range maritime patrol aircraft, and submarines, demonstrating operational capabilities in surface, sub-surface, and air warfare. Major drills included surface weapon firings, anti-air and anti-submarine warfare exercises, air defense operations, and shipborne helicopter missions. Seamanship evolutions, such as refueling from tankers and maritime interdiction operations, further underscored the navies’ collective readiness and interoperability in a challenging maritime security environment.
The closing ceremony included a review of the operational aspects of the Sea Phase, allowing participating naval forces to share experiences, and best practices, and enhance mutual understanding. MALABAR 2024 served as a critical platform for fostering cooperation among these four nations, as the Indo-Pacific region faces increasingly complex maritime security challenges.
Originally initiated as a bilateral exercise between India and the United States in 1992, MALABAR has expanded into a cornerstone of multilateral maritime cooperation with the inclusion of Japan in 2015 and Australia in 2020. The exercise now plays a pivotal role in addressing shared security concerns in the Indo-Pacific, enhancing operational coordination, and promoting regional stability.
The exercise, which officially began on October 8 with the inauguration aboard Indian Naval Ship Satpura, was led by India’s Eastern Naval Command and featured some of the most advanced and challenging operations in recent years. MALABAR 2024 once again reinforced the commitment of the four participating nations to ensure a secure and stable maritime environment in the Indo-Pacific region. (pr)