Against the backdrop of Chinese expansionism in the Indo-Pacific region, Quadrilateral coalition is finally fructifying with the first phase of the Malabar exercise kick-starting today in the Bay of Bengal which eventually makes China nervous.
It is the first Malabar exercise after fresh attempts to rejuvenate the Quad coalition comprising India, the US, Japan and Australia. The four countries held a foreign ministers-level conference in Japan on October 6 which was followed by the India-US 2+2 dialogue (foreign and defence ministers) on October 26-27 in New Delhi.
What does the Malabar exercise signal?
The fact that Australia is participating in the Malabar naval exercise after 13 years is a serious reflection of the growing consensus among India, the US, Japan and Australia in matters of strategic interests particularly aimed at containing Chinese expansionism.
For India, the Malabar exercise has gained geostrategic prominence at a time China is trying to bully it on the borders. India and China are locked in a military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
India-China ties are at a low point. But what works for India is that China has severely strained its relations with the US, Japan and even Australia, which was forced to announce a military revamp plan to counter the Chinese threat.
Australia’s participation in the Malabar exercise marks a significant shift. India had been reluctant in bringing Australia onboard for past several years. Australia had signalled clear preference for China while India too did not want to push the Quad aggressively as it hoped for deeper ties with China. Finally, India in October announced Australia’s participation in the Malabar exercise a first since 2007.
The three-day first phase of the Malabar exercise kick-started off the Visakhapatnam coast in the Bay of Bengal today.
This is the phase of the Malabar exercise that began on Tuesday. It is a three-day (November 3-6) exercise in the Bay of Bengal. The second phase of the Malabar exercise will be held in the Arabian Sea another three-day (November 17-20) naval drill.
Being undertaken during Covid-19 times, this year’s Malabar exercise is a ‘non-contact, at sea only’ drill to showcase the high-levels of synergy and coordination among the navies of India, the US, Japan and Australia.
The official statement of the Indian Navy said the Malabar exercise “is based on their (the four navies’) shared values and commitment to an open, inclusive Indo-Pacific and a rules-based international order”.
The first phase of the Malabar exercise would witness complex and advanced naval exercises including surface, anti-submarine and anti-air warfare operations, besides cross deck flying, seamanship evolutions and weapon firing drills, the Indian Navy said.
These are the main attractions at the Malabar exercise
The Indian Navy has deployed destroyer Ranvijay, frigate Shivalik, off-shore patrol vessel Sukanya, fleet support ship Shakti, submarine Sindhuraj, advanced jet trainer Hawk, long-range maritime patrol aircraft P-8I, and Dornier maritime patrol aircraft among others.
The main American attraction is the US Navy ship USS John S McCain, a guided-missile destroyer. From the Australian Navy’s side is the long-range frigate HMAS Ballarat with integral MH-60 helicopter. The Japan Maritime Self Defence Force’s JS Onami, a destroyer is another key platform taking part in the Malabar exercise.
With its economic rise, China has turned into a global expansionist. It views every regional or global strategic grouping as a challenge to its expansion programme. China has always viewed the Malabar exercise with suspicion.
China has been muscle-flexing in the Indo-Pacific region coming in direct conflict with Japan and the US, primarily in the East and South China Seas. The situation in these seas has been fluid for several years.
This has prompted both the US and Japan to explore the ways to build a maritime security infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific region to contain Chinese expansion programme, which has gained momentum under Xi Jinping. This is why the Quad has a major roadblock to Xi Jinping’s China.
The growing Chinese assertiveness played a key role in India finally agreeing to sending invitation — after the Tokyo conference of the foreign ministers to Australia for participation in the Malabar exercise.
Australia’s response at the time made it amply clear. Its Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said the Malabar exercise would showcase the shared will of the four major Indo-Pacific democracies to work together on common security interests.
Previously in June, as the China-Australia relations soured over “mishandling” of Covid-19 in China, India and Australia upgraded their ties to a “comprehensive strategic partnership” level.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison held an online summit during which Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA) was signed allowing the militaries of the two countries to use bases for repair, replenishment and scaling up defence cooperation.
Simply, China lost a “friend” to make the Quad a reality in 2020.
The Malabar exercise began between the Indian Navy and the US Navy in 1992. It was then a bilateral naval drill in the Indian Ocean. Australia and Japan became partners later on. But as Australia drifted away, Japan became a permanent member of the exercise in 2015.
This is the 24th edition of the annual war game. In the past two years, the Malabar exercise drills were conducted in the Philippine Sea (2018) and off the Japanese coast (2019).
