It's a wrap for 'Exercise Malabar 2024'. How the four navies tested their war-readiness in Bay of Bengal

The 2024 edition of the Malabar Naval exercise—a joint drill aimed at enhancing the synergy, interoperability, and coordination between the navies of India, Australia, Japan, and the US—concluded on Friday at Visakhapatnam.

The warships of the navies with their integral helicopters, long-range maritime patrol aircraft and submarines, participated in the complex and advanced exercises in the domains of surface, sub-surface and air warfare in this edition of the drill in the Bay of Bengal.

Major exercises included surface weapon firings, anti-air shoots, air defence exercises, anti-submarine warfare exercises, extensive operations of ship-borne helicopters, seamanship evolutions, including fueling from tankers and maritime interdiction operations.

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“Malabar 2024 sea phase serves as a testament to the commitment of participating nations towards enhancing understanding, collaboration and engagement in the maritime domain as the world grapples with increasingly complex maritime security challenges,” the defence ministry said in a statement.

The closing ceremony included a review of operational aspects of the sea phase and interaction between the navies, sharing their experiences and best practices.