On October 19, India invited Australia to join high-level Malabar naval exercises it holds each year with the United States and Japan, dismissing Chinese concerns that the exercises destabilize the region. This is reportedly the first time all the four Quad partners – India, the United States, Australia, and Japan – will participate in an exercise of this magnitude, according to NDTV. The Indian Navy participation in phase one will be led by Rear Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, the flag officer commanding eastern fleet. The first phase of the drill will focus on complex, advanced naval exercises, cross deck flying, seamanship evolutions, and weapon firing exercises, among others. In 1992, Malabar started as a bilateral exercise between India and the United States.

Source: Dhaka Tribune October 31, 2020 08:26 UTC