Malabar Exercise

Malabar Exercise

#GS-02 International Relations

For Prelims:

About Malabar exercise:

  • Malabar is a multilateral war-gaming naval exercise which began as bilateral navel exercise between US and India in 1992.
  • The second exercise was conducted in 1995 and next one in 1996.
  • After 1996 they were on hiatus due to Pokharn II and resumed in 2002.
  • Japan and Australia first participated in 2007, and since 2014, India, the US and Japan have participated in the exercise every year.
  •  This year marks 30 years of the Malabar Exercise and will be hosted by Japan.

About QUAD:

  • It is the grouping of four democracies i.e., India, Australia, the US, and Japan.
  • It aims to create and sustain a “free, open and prosperous” Indo-Pacific region.
  • India, Australia, the US and Japan, came together and formed this “quadrilateral” coalition in the year 2017.
  • While QUAD is aimed at improving the maritime security of the region, all the member countries have repeatedly confirmed that it is not a military alliance nor an equivalent to NATO.

For Mains:

Significance of QUAD and Malabar:

  • These groupings are primarily aimed at countering China’s growing influence in the region.
  • They act as net security provider to the region and help in preventing Chinese military build-up in the Indo Pacific region.
  • All the member countries are pro democratic nations and are well known for protecting Human Rights.
  • This helps in public view since China is seen as an authoritarian regime with abysmal records in Human Rights.
  • USA is the worlds largest economy while Japan is the third and India, the fifth. Hence the QUAD represents a significant economic power block.
  • USA is India’s largest trading partner, while Japan is one the major investors in Indian developmental projects and Australia is a major supplier of both agricultural products as well as minerals. Hence a closer relationship with these nations will have a positive impact on the Indian economy.