Quad Naval Exercises

Source: This post on Quad Naval Exercises has been created based on the article “Quad partners take part in back-to-back naval war games” published in The Hindu on 21st October 2024.

Why in news?

The Quad nations India, Australia, Japan, and the U.S. have conducted back-to-back naval war games, reinforced their maritime collaboration and honed their operational capabilities, particularly in anti-submarine warfare.

About Exercise Malabar 2024

1. It was held from October 8 to 18, 2024, off the coast of Visakhapatnam. It began as a bilateral drill between India and the U.S. in 1992, now a key multilateral event.

2. Significance: The Indian Navy described this edition as the “most comprehensive” Malabar exercise to date, incorporating advanced and complex operational scenarios.

3. Phases: The exercise consisted of: Harbour Phase in Visakhapatnam and Sea Phase in the Bay of Bengal.

4. Objective: Focused on enhancing interoperability, mutual understanding, and addressing shared maritime challenges, especially in the Indo-Pacific region.

5. Participating Units includes India, Australia, Japan, U.S. and Special Forces from all four countries participated in advanced operations.

6. Exercises involved a range of surface, sub-surface, and air warfare activities, including: Surface weapon firings, Anti-air and air defense exercises, Seamanship evolutions and maritime interdiction operations and refueling at sea and ship-borne helicopter operations.

7. Exercise Malabar’s Strategic Role: It aimed at fostering cooperation, improving operational coordination, and enhancing maritime security across the Indo-Pacific.

8. Key Focus Areas:

i) Anti-Submarine Warfare: A major priority, given concerns about the growing presence of the Chinese Navy in the Indian Ocean Region.

ii) Undersea Domain Awareness: Critical for ensuring security in this strategically important maritime domain.

About Exercise Kakadu 2024

1. It was hosted by the Royal Australian Navy from September 9 to 20, 2024.

2. Participation: It included nearly 3,000 personnel from 30 nations, with ships from 10 countries and aircraft from five nations. The Indian Navy deployed a P-8I MPA for this exercise.

3. Objective: Focused on regional maritime security, operational excellence, and showcasing new technologies and tactics in naval operations.

4. Strategic Importance of Kakadu: It demonstrates Australia’s commitment to international maritime partnerships and regional security.

5. Activities: It involved warfighting drills as well as humanitarian operations, highlighting a broad spectrum of naval capabilities.

UPSC Syllabus: Exercise in news