Malabar 2024: India to host joint naval exercise of Quad nations from October 8

India will host a joint naval exercise of Quad nations from Tuesday at Vishakhapatnam — mere weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met other leaders of the group in the US. The 11-day mega wargame is held annually and includes sea and harbour phases with a focus on expanding cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
“Exercise Malabar 2024 is scheduled to take place from October 8 to 18, beginning with the Harbour Phase in Visakhapatnam, followed by the sea phase,” the Indian Navy announced on Saturday.
It also said that the upcoming exercise is expected to be the ‘most comprehensive’ version till date — featuring complex operational scenarios. The exercise will feature participation of various Indian naval platforms, including guided missile destroyers, multi-purpose frigates, submarines, fighter aircraft and helicopters.
The Malabar exercise began in 1992 as a bilateral naval drill between the US and Indian Navy — gradually evolving into a key multilateral event aimed at enhancing interoperability, fostering mutual understanding, and addressing shared maritime challenges in the Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific region.
Top leaders of Quad unveiled major steps to expand maritime security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific during their meeting last month. A key outcome of the summit was a decision on having joint coast guard operations under which a first-ever “Quad-at-Sea” ship observer mission will be launched in 2025 to advance maritime safety and to continuing with further missions in future across the Indo-Pacific. The leaders also announced a new regional Maritime Initiative for Training in the Indo-Pacific (MAITRI), to enable partners to maximize tools provided through Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) and other Quad initiatives.
Quad is a diplomatic partnership between four countries–Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. US President Joe Biden hosted Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Australian PM Anthony Albanese for the Quad Leaders’ Summit at his hometown Wilmington in Delaware on September 21. It was the fourth in-person and sixth overall Quad Leaders’ Summit.
(With inputs from agencies)