The Malabar sea exercise is going back to its original form of a joint Indo-US bilateral naval activity off the western coast later this week.
Japan, Singapore not part of Malabar series this year
NEW DELHI: The Malabar sea exercise is going back to its original form of a joint Indo-US bilateral naval activity off the western coast later this week.
The Malabar series has been underway between India and the US since the early 90s, but it took an all new dimension last year with the involvement of navies from Singapore, Australia and Japan. The regional forum of navies forced the Chinese to lodge diplomatic protests. Left parties too protested against what they perceived a showcase of a new alliance led by the US.
Despite the scaling down of the Malabar exercises, the Left parties would still be protesting during the exercise.
MOD officials say defence minister AK Antony shot down the Indian Navy’s proposal to include Singapore and Japan navies this year. “Only last year, something different happened... This year there is no multilateral exercise, but a bilateral one, similar to what has been happening for the last 16 years,” the minister recently said.
The US side is expected to field its nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Regan, nuclear submarine USS Springfield, a few other warships, and several fighters and helicopters. USS Ronald Regan is a 95,000 ton ship, among the biggest in the world, and runs on nuclear fuel.
From the Indian side, the naval contingent is led by INS Mumbai and would comprise of a conventional submarine, several other ships, fighters, helicopters in various roles.
Though slated to begin on October 15, the actual action begins on the 17th with the ships arriving off Goa. The US navy would field its F-18s and the IAF its Jaguars. The exercise comes just weeks after the IAF fighters returned from Exercise Red Flag at Nellis airbase in the Nevada desert. Also, a day before the US ships arrive, US army chief General George W Casey would be in New Delhi on an official visit.
j_josy@dnaindia.net 
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}