The three-nation Malabar Exercise being participated by the navies of India, the US and Japan has been launched this morning in a function on-board the Indian naval vessel INS Jalashwa in Chennai Port. The Exercices will continue till 17th of this month. In a press meet this morning, the Flag Officer Commanding in Chief of India’s Eastern Naval Command Vice Admiral HCS Bhisht said the first four days would comprise shore based activities.
The at-sea drills are scheduled to be held from the 14th onwards for four days. In this edition, India’s aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya participates for the first time.
Totally, 16 warships including the world’s largest aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, more than 95 aircraft and two submarines are joining the maritime drills.
The flag officers of the three participating nations have said the current edition is part of the ongoing exercise that is going on since 1992 and is not aimed at any any particular country. They said, the drills are for increasing the interoperability in the highly strategic Indo Asia Pacific Region.