Malabar naval exercise 2018: Maritime forces of India, US and Japan conclude drill off Guam coast

New Delhi: The maritime forces of India, the US and Japan participated in the trilateral maritime exercise Malabar 2018 which were conducted off the coast of Guam from 7 to 16 June, the US Navy’s Commander, Task Force 70 (CTF 70) Public Affairs, said on Tuesday. [caption id=“attachment_4544191” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] “Initiated in 1992 as an exercise between the US and Indian Navy, Malabar 2018 is the 22nd rendition of the exercise and included the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF), a regular participant since 2015,” CTF 70 said in a statement that was shared by the US Embassy. “The exercise accomplished maritime interoperability training objectives among the three maritime forces, emphasising high-end war-fighting skills, maritime superiority and power projection,” it stated. This is the first year that Malabar was conducted in the US Navy’s Guam operation area. The two-phase exercise took place ashore in Guam and in the Philippine Sea. “While ashore in Guam, training included subject matter expert and professional exchanges on operations, maritime patrol and reconnaissance operations, anti-submarine warfare, medical operations, damage control, helicopter operations, ship tours, and visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) operations,” the statement said. According to the statement, the at-sea portions of the exercise conducted in the Philippine Sea were designed to advance participating nations’ military-to-military coordination and capacity to plan and execute tactical operations in a multinational environment. “The US, Japan and India have a range of common security interests that include maritime security, counterterrorism, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and having an active role building regional partner capacity and maritime domain awareness. By doing so, they bolster the shared vision laid out by their respective governments to contribute to overall peace and security in the region.” India, the US and Japan, along with Australia, are part of a quad that was revived late last year.