Malabar 21: US led-Quad Navies Begin Wide-Ranging Drills Off the Pacific Ocean Island of Guam

The Quad members (the US, Japan, Australia and India) have been increasing their interactions in recent years, attempting to project themselves as a cohesive force to protect their interests in the Pacific and Indian Ocean. These countries consider China as a major threat as the PLA-Navy has been expanding its strength at an unprecedented pace.

The four-day-long Malabar-21 naval exercise between the Quad navies kicked off on Thursday with the participation of destroyers, frigates, corvettes, submarines, helicopters and long-range maritime patrol aircraft in the Pacific Ocean.

“MALABAR-21 would witness complex exercises including anti-surface, anti-air and anti-submarine warfare drills, and other manoeuvres and tactical exercises. The exercise will provide an opportunity for participating navies to derive benefits from each other’s expertise and experiences,” the Indian navy said on Thursday.

The first Malabar series of maritime exercises commenced in 1992 as a bilateral India-US naval exercise. In 2015, Japan joined Malabar as a permanent member. The 2020 edition witnessed the participation of the Royal Australian Navy.

#Malabar_21
The #25th Ed of Ex #Malabar is being hosted by @USNavy in the #WesternPacific.
The Maritime Ex started in 1992 b/n #IndianNavy & #USNavy & has grown in complexity & members, @jmsdf_pao_eng
& @Australian_Navy, more on this in this video ⬇️.@SpokespersonMoD @MEAIndia pic.twitter.com/Chchb6Jas2

— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) August 26, 2021

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These countries have been carrying out the exercise amid the growing convergence of interests in the maritime domain in the face of China’s increasing presence in the Pacific and Indian Ocean.

On Wednesday, Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command Admiral John Aquilino warned the partner countries about the largest military build-up since the Second World War in all domains by China and urged the members to increase interoperability to counter the threats posed by the People’s Liberation Army-Navy.

“[The PLA-Navy] could operate their carrier anywhere. They could be obstacles to India, they could be obstacles to the US. The question again is not what they can do with them or where they can go, but what their intent is with them,” Aquilino said.

The Quad or Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, which pledges to promote a free, open and rule-based order in the Indo-Pacific and beyond, is viewed by Beijing as part of a US-led campaign to undermine China’s interests.

“We hope the relevant countries will follow the principles of openness, inclusiveness and win-win results, refrain from forming closed and exclusive 'cliques' and act in a way that is conducive to regional peace, stability and prosperity,” China’s Foreign Ministry said in March this year after leaders from the US, Australia, India and Japan, the Quad group, met for the first time.

According to Indian media, US President Joe Biden is likely to hold an in-person QUAD summit, the first ever, in Washington to deepen the cooperation in every sphere among the member countries.