Australia back for Indo-Pacific maritime Exercise MALABAR

The Royal Australian Navy will join key regional partners India, Japan and the United States for Exercise MALABAR 2021.

Anzac class frigate HMAS Warramunga will join ships and aircraft from participating nations for the high-end military exercise off the coast of Guam in the Indo-Pacific.

Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Michael Noonan, said Australia’s participation in the multilateral Exercise MALABAR 2021 would strengthen our collective ability to contribute to regional security.

“Australia is committed to working closely with our partners to address shared regional challenges, including in the maritime domain,” Vice Admiral Noonan said.

“Our forces’ participation in Exercise MALABAR 2021 will enhance the region’s maritime interoperability and is a key cooperative activity between us.

“We regularly work with India, Japan and the United States to build our professional relationships and strengthen the foundations for an open, inclusive and resilient Indo-Pacific,” he said. 

This year’s Exercise MALABAR will see the four nations’ forces conduct a range of maritime operations involving live firings and anti-submarine warfare operations.

This is the second consecutive year that Australia has been invited to participate in Exercise MALABAR.