The Sea Phase of Exercise MALABAR 2024 commenced on 14 Oct 24 off the coast of Visakhapatnam.

Naval warships, embarked integral helicopters and long-range maritime patrol aircraft from Australia, India, Japan and USA are now exercising in unison in the Bay of Bengal, demonstrating a high level of collaboration and operational synergy.

As part of this phase, the participating navies will engage in a wide range of maritime warfare operations, covering the surface, sub-surface, and air warfare domains. These advanced and complex exercises are designed to enhance mutual understanding and coordination, with the aim of operating seamlessly as a Combined Task Force at sea. In sub-surface warfare exercises, Indian Naval submarines would be participating and combined drills of Special Forces from participating nations will also be featured in this phase.

This Sea Phase will further strengthen interoperability between the participating nations and contribute towards enhancing regional security and stability in the Indo-Pacific. The sea phase will culminate on 18 Oct 24 with the closing ceremony for MALABAR 2024.

_______________________________________________________________

VM/SKY