The sea phase of Exercise Malabar, the naval drill featuring the navies of India, the US, Australia and Japan, began on Monday off the coast of Visakhapatnam.
Naval warships, embarked integral helicopters, and long-range maritime patrol aircraft from the four countries are exercising in unison in the Bay of Bengal as part of the exercise.
The participating navies will engage in a wide range of maritime warfare operations, covering the surface, sub-surface, and air warfare domains.
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According to a defence ministry release, the advanced and complex naval exercises are designed to boost mutual understanding and coordination, with the aim of operating seamlessly as a Combined Task Force at sea.
Combined drills of Special Forces from participating nations will also be featured in this phase.
This phase of the naval drills will further strengthen interoperability between the participating nations and contribute towards enhancing regional security and stability in the Indo-Pacific, the defence ministry said.
The sea phase will conclude on Friday.
