The U.S. is keen on expanding Malabar trilateral exercises but it will be a decision based on discussion and consensus with the partner countries, said a senior U.S. Navy officer on Friday.
“The discussions continue on observer status, there is a process for all the exercises we go through… The first step is an observer status and then potentially as participants. Ultimately this is a bilateral dialogue between India and the U.S… There is a desire to increase the participants but must be done step by step and in a collaborative way,” said Admiral Scott Swift, U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander.
In July
The next edition of Malabar is scheduled to be held in July this year in the areas “surrounding India in Bay of Bengal” for which the planning conferences are under way.
As reported by The Hindu , Australia has requested India for observer status at this year’s Malabar exercises and is awaiting a final decision. But India has been reluctant to let expand the exercises further from the trilateral format which included Japan due to sensitivities from China.
Malabar which began in 1992 as a bilateral naval exercise between India and the U.S. has since grown in scope and complexity acquiring considerable heft in recent times. In 2015, it was expanded into a trilateral format with the inclusion of Japan.
Japan and the U.S. are keen on expanding the games to include Australia which was expressed by officials from both countries on various occasions.
Focus on ASW
This year’s exercises are expected to focus on Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) with increasing Chinese submarine presence in the Indian Ocean.
Adm Swift said that with both Indian and U.S. Navies operating the P-8 long-range patrol aircraft, they are keen to expand the ASW component in the coming exercises.
