India’s join naval exercise at Malabar with US and Japan commences

Context

• India join naval exercise at Malabar makes China insecure.

History

• In the year 1992, Malabar exercise kicked off which was 23 years ago, a bilateral drill between India and U.S.
• In the year 2015, Japan became the permanent member of the Malabar exercise.
• The main aim of the exercise remained to address the shared security threat to maritime security in the Indo-Asia Pacific.
• Japan since 2007 have participated as a non-permanent member along with Australia and Singapore.

Recent developments

• On 10^th July, 2017 India, Japan and United States kicked off the Malabar naval exercise in the Bay of Bengal.
• The tri-lateral naval exercise is the widest in scope than all its previous editions and will continue for 10 days.

Aim of the exercise

• Malabar 2017 emanates at a crucial time when the Chinese navy is trying hard to increase its presence in the Indian Ocean region.
• The main aim of the exercise is to address the shared threats to maritime security in the Indo-Asia Pacific.
• Primary emphasis this year is on anti-submarine warfare.

Warships put to use this year:

Most important warships

• India, Japan, and U.S., all three have put forth their largest warships in the field among the the 20-odd warships taking part in the exercise.
• The United States is getting in the world’s largest aircraft carrier, USS Nimitz.
• The Indian Navy’s 44,570 tonne aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya, will be put forth.
• Japan’s largest 27,000 tonne helicopter carrier Izumo.

US Navy other warships

• The guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59)
• Guided-missile destroyers USS Howard (DDG 83)
• USS Shoup (DDG 86)
• USS Kidd (DDG 100)
• P-8A Poseidon aircraft
• Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine.

Indian other trusted warships

• Two Made-in-India Shivalik class stealth frigates.
• Two Russian-built Ranvir class destroyers.
• The indigenous Kamorta class anti-submarine warfare corvette.
• A Kora class multi-role corvette are going to be deployed.

Japan other ships

• The Japan Maritime Self Defense Force ships JS Sazanami (DD 113).

The drill

• The drill will include both ashore and at-sea training.
• The ashore training in Chennai will include expert exchanges carrier strike group operations.
• Maritime patrol and reconnaissance operations, surface and anti-submarine warfare, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) and visit, board, Landry Jones – Oklahoma Sooners search and seizure (VBSS) operations, all will be part of the drill.
• The at-sea portions that will be conducted in the Bay of Bengal are designed to advance participating nations’ military-to-military synchronization.
• The capacity to plan and execute tactical operations in a multinational environment will be improvised.
• Events planned during the at-sea portions include liaison officer professional exchanges and embarks, air defence exercises; medical evacuation drills and of course, anti-submarine warfare.

China’s resentment

• China is thoroughly monitoring and seems unhappy about the ongoing Malabar naval exercises between India, the U.S. and Japan.
• The Indian Navy’s mounting clout to detect Chinese submarines and surface ships in the Indian Ocean, using newly acquired weaponry from Washington disturbs China.
• Chinese feel that their submarines are getting targeted.
• Malabar 2017 comes at a time when there are high tensions between India and China over the Sikkim border.
• The growth of Chinese navy in the Indian Ocean Region, China, who has been wary of the drills since a long time is keeping a close watch.
• China keeping a watch sends a surveillance ship, The HaiwangXiang, to monitor the Malabar issue.

Conclusion

• India on its part is also worried that China will step up activities in the Indian Ocean in response to the Malabar exercise.
• China is already building infrastructure in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan, feeding India’s anxiety about being encircled.
• China is worrisome for India,