MALABAR CY 07-2 – The largest Naval War Games

The largest Naval War Games in the Bay of Bengal will be played out between the navies of India, USA, Japan, Australia and Singapore. The exercises, near the Andaman Islands, will be held close to China’s monitoring stations at Coco Islands and near the strategic Malacca Straits. China is already wary of an emerging NATO-like quadrilateral security engagement between India, Australia, US and Japan and sees it as a ‘strategic encirclement’ of the country.

The participants and their fleet include

Australia – Frigate: Adelaide and Tanker ship: Sirius.

Japan – Missile Destroyers: Oonami and Udachi.

USA – Aircraft carriers: USS Nimitz, USS Kitty Hawk, Submarine: USS Chicago, Destroyers: John Paul Jones, Mustin, Curtis Wilbur, Chafee, Higgins, Pinckney.

India – Aircraft carrier: INS Viraat, Guided missile destroyers, Frigates: Two Rajput class, one Delhi class, two Godavari class, one Brahmaputra class, HDW 209, Kilo class submarines, TU 142 long range maritime reconnaissance aircraft and Jaguar fighters.

Singapore – Frigate: Formidable.

More writeup on the exercises here and here.

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