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India, US to hold Malabar naval war games in April
NEW DELHI: Cocking a snook at China, India and the US will hold the next edition of their Malabar naval war games in the Bay of Bengal in April.
Since 1992, India has largely restricted the annual Malabar exercise to the western seaboard in Arabian Sea, except for the 2007 edition that was held in the Bay of Bengal.
The Malabar held on the eastern seaboard in 2007 had riled China, especially since it was also expanded to include Australian, Japanese and Singaporean navies as well. Beijing had lodged a strong protest against this "axis of democracy" emerging in the Asia-Pacific region with the eventual aim to "contain" it.
Promptly, an ultra-defensive India had ensured that for the next two-three years the Malabar was restricted to a bilateral exercise, even though both the Indian and American navies wanted it to be a regular multi-lateral engagement.
While the planning process for this year's Malabar is still underway, defence ministry sources say the exercise is going to be a major one, with the entire spectrum of naval manoeuvres being conducted.
Though India has refrained from inking "foundational" military agreements with the US like the Logistics Support Agreement (LSA), Communication Interoperability and Security Memorandum Agreement (CISMOA) and Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geo-Spatial Cooperation (BECA), the two nations have set a scorching pace in undertaking joint combat exercises.
Indian and American armed forces have held as many as 60 exercises over the last seven-eight years.
Malabar, which has often witnessed participation of aircraft carriers from the two sides, represents the high-end of this expanding military-to-military engagement.
Japan was to take part in the Malabar exercise last year also, but opted out after the horrific devastation wreaked by the massive earthquake-cum-tsunami in the country.
India will also be undertaking the Simbex exercise with Singaporean navy in March.
India, US to hold Malabar naval war games in April - The Times of India
NEW DELHI: Cocking a snook at China, India and the US will hold the next edition of their Malabar naval war games in the Bay of Bengal in April.
Since 1992, India has largely restricted the annual Malabar exercise to the western seaboard in Arabian Sea, except for the 2007 edition that was held in the Bay of Bengal.
The Malabar held on the eastern seaboard in 2007 had riled China, especially since it was also expanded to include Australian, Japanese and Singaporean navies as well. Beijing had lodged a strong protest against this "axis of democracy" emerging in the Asia-Pacific region with the eventual aim to "contain" it.
Promptly, an ultra-defensive India had ensured that for the next two-three years the Malabar was restricted to a bilateral exercise, even though both the Indian and American navies wanted it to be a regular multi-lateral engagement.
While the planning process for this year's Malabar is still underway, defence ministry sources say the exercise is going to be a major one, with the entire spectrum of naval manoeuvres being conducted.
Though India has refrained from inking "foundational" military agreements with the US like the Logistics Support Agreement (LSA), Communication Interoperability and Security Memorandum Agreement (CISMOA) and Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geo-Spatial Cooperation (BECA), the two nations have set a scorching pace in undertaking joint combat exercises.
Indian and American armed forces have held as many as 60 exercises over the last seven-eight years.
Malabar, which has often witnessed participation of aircraft carriers from the two sides, represents the high-end of this expanding military-to-military engagement.
Japan was to take part in the Malabar exercise last year also, but opted out after the horrific devastation wreaked by the massive earthquake-cum-tsunami in the country.
India will also be undertaking the Simbex exercise with Singaporean navy in March.
India, US to hold Malabar naval war games in April - The Times of India
