In conjunction with 13 C-130J "Super Hercules" aircraft also ordered from the US for over $2.1 billion, the C-17s provide India with power-projection capabilities to swiftly transport combat-ready troops and weapons to the border with China for any contingency.The Malabar exercise, with a pronounced thrust on anti-submarine warfare, also comes at a time when. The Indian Navy has tracked at least seven Chinese submarines entering the region, with nuclear and conventional boats alternating with each other, since December 2013, as was first reported by TOI.Pointing to the Malabar exercise, Trump said, "Our militaries are working every day to enhance cooperation, and next month they will join together with the Japanese Navy to take part in the largest maritime exercise ever conducted in the vast Indian Ocean. "India, incidentally, will be deploying its 44,570-tonne aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya for a combat exercise with foreign countries for the first time. In addition to a US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the Malabar exercise will witness several frontline warships, submarines and aircraft from the three countries.India and the US will also "hunt submarines" together with their Poseidon-8 long-range maritime patrol aircraft during the exercise. But China views any such "naval grouping" as a move to contain it, and had lodged a strong protest against the Malabar exercise in the Bay of Bengal in 2007 when it had been expanded to include Japan, Australia and Singapore.

Source: Times of India June 27, 2017 15:54 UTC