Indo-US-Japan joint naval exercise begins in Bay of Bengal

In a bid to enhance the maritime security in the Indo-Asia-Pacific, a joint naval exercise -Malabar 2017- involving navy and air force personnel of India, the United States and Japan began on Monday in the Bay of Bengal off Chennai coast.

Malabar 2017 is the latest in a continuing series of exercises that has grown in scope and complexity over the years to address the variety of shared threats to maritime security in the Indo-Asia-Pacific.

The exercise will feature both ashore and at-sea training.

While ashore in Chennai, training will include subject matter expert and professional exchanges on carrier strike group operations, maritime patrol operations, surface and anti-submarine warfare, medical operations, damage control, explosive ordnance disposal, helicopter operations, and visit, board, search and seizure operations.

The at-sea portions conducted in the Bay of Bengal are designed to advance participating nations' military-to-military coordination and capacity to plan and execute tactical operations in a multinational environment.

Events planned during the exercise include liaison officer professional exchanges and embarks, a photo exercise, submarine familiarisation, high-value unit defence, air defence exercises, medical evacuation drills, surface warfare exercises, communications exercises, search and rescue exercises, helicopter cross-deck evolutions, underway replenishments; gunnery exercises and anti-submarine warfare.

Participants from the US Navy include the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Nimitz with embarked Carrier Air Wing 11, the guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton, guided-missile destroyers USS Howard, USS Shoup (DDG 86), and USS Kidd, a Poseidon aircraft; and a Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine.

Indian, Japanese and US maritime forces have a common understanding and knowledge of a shared working environment at sea.

Each iteration of this exercise helps to advance the level of understanding between our Sailors, and we hope to be able to continue this process over time.

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ships JS Izumo  and JS Sazanami  will also be participating in the exercise