Australia joined India, Japan and the United States for Exercise Malabar, a key Indo-Pacific maritime activity designed to deepen interoperability among regional partners.

Royal Australian Navy Anzac-class frigate HMAS Ballarat and a Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft participated in the exercise from November 10 to 18 in Guam and the West Pacific training area.

Chief of Joint Operations Vice Admiral Justin Jones said with regional security challenges evolving rapidly, partnerships and joint exercises are more important than ever.

“Australia and partner nations strengthen Indo-Pacific security through exercises like Malabar – tackling shared challenges, coordinating collective strength and closing gaps in global engagement,” Vice Admiral Jones said.

“Through complex drills in anti-submarine and surface warfare, maritime interdiction and aviation operations, participating nations build the trust, interoperability and readiness needed to respond to our collective security challenges.”

'We must be ready in our resolve and meet challenges head-on, together.'

Commodore United States Destroyer Squadron 15 Captain Dave Huljack said the focus of Exercise Malabar was on working with allies and partners to increase interoperability and strengthen critical maritime partnerships.

“The world we see today is not without challenge, which is precisely why exercises such as Malabar are critical,” Captain Huljack said.

“We cannot overstate the importance of preserving maritime security in the national commons – the work of our combined forces over the decades has directly contributed to our ability to maintain a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

“Through our continued cooperation, we are better prepared to preserve our shared values and deter competitors who wish to rewrite international norms. 

“We must be ready in our resolve and meet challenges head-on, together.”

Commanding Officer Ballarat Commander Dean Uren said Exercise Malabar provided an important opportunity for Australia to deepen military cooperation and people-to-people connections with three of its closest allies and partners.

“Training alongside our regional partners ensures our people and platforms remain prepared to meet any contingency and deter coercion in the Indo-Pacific,” Commander Uren said.

“Exercise Malabar complements our ongoing bilateral and multilateral engagements and reaffirms the shared commitment of like-minded nations to a stable, secure, and prosperous region.

Conducted annually, Exercise Malabar was established as a bilateral training activity between India and the United States in 1992 – Australia and Japan first participated in 2007.

Exercise Malabar 25 is the fifth time all four nations comprising the Indo-Pacific Quad partnership have participated exclusively together.