17 Nov 2020 09:26PM
NEW DELHI: The navies of India, the United States, Australia and Japan held exercises Tuesday (Nov 17) in the Northern Arabian Sea in the second phase of a naval drill seen as part of a regional initiative to counter China’s growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific.
The Malabar naval exercise “highlights enhanced convergence of views amongst the four vibrant democracies on maritime issues,” India’s Defense Ministry said.
This is the second time that the four countries — an informal grouping known as the Quad — have participated in a combined military exercise of this size. The first phase of the Malabar drill took place Nov 3-6 in the Bay of Bengal.
