Cavalier India Defence Training Academy

Amid the ongoing stand-off with China in eastern Ladakh, the Ministry of Defence on Monday announced that Australia would join the Malabar 2020 naval exercise, consisting of India, Japan and the U.S., to be held next month, more than three years after Australia first requested to join. Indian Navy tours USS Princeton (CG 59) during Ex - Malabar 2017 | Representative Image - Wikimedia Commons “As India seeks to increase cooperation with other countries in the maritime security domain and in the light of increased defence cooperation with Australia, Malabar 2020 will see the participation of the Australian Navy,” the Ministry said in a statement. The exercise is scheduled to be held end November and the planning conference to finalise the modalities of the exercise is scheduled to be held virtually end of October, according to an official source. This will formally bring together the militaries of the four countries in the Quad group and Exercise Malabar could officially be described as...

New Delhi is expected to clear the way next week for formal invitation to Australia following final govt clearance & consultations with US and Japan. File photo of naval ships during the Malabar exercise India plans to invite Australia to join the annual Malabar naval exercise that has so far included just Japan and the U.S., in a move that could risk China’s ire. The decision to include Australia in the drills — the first time all members of the regional grouping known as the Quad will be engaged at a military level — comes as Beijing and New Delhi are caught up in their worst border tensions in four decades. The exercise will bring together the navies of India, Japan, Australia and the U.S. in the Bay of Bengal at the end of the year, according to senior Indian officials who asked not to be identified, citing rules. New Delhi is expected to clear the way next week for a formal invitation to Australia following final government clearance and consultations with the U.S. and Japan, ...