UPSC Articles
Malabar exercise: May include Australia
Part of: GS Prelims and Mains II and III – International relations; Defence
In news:
- India to decide whether to include Australia in the Malabar exercises with Japan and the U.S.
- The decision, if taken, could bring all Quad countries together as part of the annual war games.
- After years of reluctance, India said it was open to Australia’s inclusion in the Malabar as an observer.
About Malabar Exercise
- Malabar is an annual military exercise between the navies of India, Japan and the U.S. held alternately in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
- The annual Malabar exercise started in 1992 as a bilateral event between the navies of India and the United States.
- It was expanded into a trilateral format with the inclusion of Japan in 2015.
Do you know?
- Australia’s inclusion would be seen as a possible first step towards the militarisation of the Quad coalition, something Beijing has opposed in the past.
- Japan and US have been keen on Australia’s inclusion and have been pushing India to consider it.
